The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs at a meeting yesterday approved an amendment to the government's procurement regulation aiming at quick procurement of food grains.

The committee approved four other proposals, including procurement of 100,000 tonnes of wheat and 50,000 tonnes of rice. The committee also approved the proposal for disinvestment of the Sylhet Pulp and Paper Mills and Bangladesh Cold Storage in Khulna.

Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman told journalists after the meeting that the amendment to the government's procurement regulation would help ease the weak process of procuring food grains during any emergency period.

"The government's food grains procurement process was hitherto lengthy and complex, making it almost impossible to collect within a stipulated period," he said.

With Saifur in the chair, the meeting was attended by LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Industries Minister Motiur Rahman Nizami, Communication Minister Barrister Nazmul Huda, Agriculture Minister MK Anwar, Textiles and Jute Minister Shajahan Siraj, Food and Disaster Management Minister Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, Commerce Minister Air-Vice Marshal (retd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury and Education Minister Dr Osman Farruk. Secretaries and senior officials of the concerned ministries were also present at the meeting.