The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) can now import basic commodities on an emergency basis, without waiting for any permission from the higher authorities of the government, after it was exempted from the public procurement rules until May 2021.

The decision came in a meeting yesterday of the cabinet committee on economic affairs chaired by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal.

In the event of a sudden price hike of

basic commodities in the market, the TCB has to intervene to cool down the market.

But because of the delays in getting the permission to import the commodities, the state-run agency fails to arrest the price spiral, Kamal said.

But now, thanks to being excused from the public procurement rules, the TCB can now import essential commodities like edible oil, onion, garlic, ginger and lentils on an emergency basis and sell those directly in the market.

In another move, the cabinet committee on purchase approved the import of 4.5 lakh tonnes of muriate of potash fertiliser from Belarusian Potash Company for $291.65 per tonne.

The same committee also approved a proposal to import of 25,000 tonnes of urea fertiliser from Qatar for $293.50 per tonne.

The economic affairs committee also approved a proposal to import a vehicle-mounted data interceptor at a cost of Tk 200 crore for the public safety division of the ministry of home affairs.

The government will purchase the interceptor in direct purchase method as the machinery is very important for people's safety, the minister said.

One interceptor was purchased earlier and now the government has taken a move to purchase another.

The interceptor is needed to arrest the spread of rumours and fake news by a section of the society, the minister said.