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Tofael tells JS

3000 MTs urea to remain in stock after meeting demand

By Staff Correspondent
industries and Commerce Minister Tofael Ahmed told the Jatiya Sangsad yesterday that there was no scarcity of fertiliser in the country and that it was being sold at below-normal price.
He informed the House that 30.000 metric tons (MT) of urea would remain in stock at the end of the current Rabi season in April next after meeting the demand for 3.45,000 MT in March.
The Industries Minister was giving a statement on some notices the Chair received from a number of Opposition Bench MPs on fertiliser situation. Deputy Speaker Abdul Hamid gave Tofael the floor to make his statement under Article 300 of the JS Rules of Procedure.
Tolad's sU^mepl. raised
protests from some Opposition Bench members The Chair then gave the floor to BNP deputy Col (retd) Akbar Hussain who rose on a point of order to say that a minister, while giving a statement under Article 300. could not give reference to notices. The Chair overruled the objection saying there were such precedences in the Fifth Parliament.
In his long statement Tofael spoke about stock position of fertiliser, its distribution, and issuance and cancellation of fertiliser dealership.
He said, according to the IFDC. fertiliser price is seven per cent less this month than that during the corresponding month last year. The IFDC observed with great satisfaction that contrary to the previous year s, fertiliser price marked fall during the Robi Boro season this year, said Tofael.
"Eighteen farmers had to die for fertiliser in March 1995. We took lesson from the past experience. Our government has no intention to do business or do politics with fertiliser," the Industries Minister said.
He said, the previous BNP government had introduced the fertiliser dealership system and recruited 2437 dealers. Too many dealers were recruited for some districts and thanas. He said. 165 dealers were recruited for Chittagong Sadar thana and over 100 lor Sarishabari thana.
The Present government has rationalised the number of dealers so that there cannot be more than five in one thana, he added. Tofael said though 954 new dealers have been recruited and dealership of 32. cancelled on specific reasons, those of BNP men' have not been cancelled despite pressure from various quarters including the Fertilizer Dealers Association.
The Industries Minister said 28 buffer stocks of fertiliser have been built in the country and district level monitoring committees formed to ensure availability of fertiliser at thana level There is a committee headed jointly by himself and Agriculture and Food Minister Begum Motia Chowdhury and a control room has been set up at the BCIC Bhaban to monitor the fertiliser situation in the country, the minister said.
Tofael said the government had to buy 1.55.000 MT urea from KAFCO and import another 1.95.000 MT through open tenders. "We have to buy fertiliser at Tk 10.249.43 per ton and produce it at a cost of Tk 5.022 per ton whereas we have to give subsidy to supply fertiliser to farmers at a rate'of Tk 3.725 per ton."
"The government has to count Tk 292 crore each year for fertiliser as BCIC's fertiliser production cost does not match the price the government offers to farmers."