United News of Bangladesh

The government on Tuesday approved power purchase proposals from three major combined cycle power plants at re-determined levelised tariffs, aiming to ensure grid stability while optimising electricity generation costs. The approvals came from the 5th meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase this year, held at the Cabinet Division Conference Room at the Bangladesh Secretariat, with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair. The Adviser later briefed reporters on the decisions. Read More: Govt Purchase Committee approves fertilizer purchase deals  The committee endorsed the procurement of electricity from the Ashuganj 450 MW Combined Cycle (South) Power Plant at a tariff of US cents 4.6934 per kilowatt hour, involving an estimated expenditure of Tk 23,880.02 crore. It also approved the purchase of power from the Siddhirganj 335 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant, constructed by Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh (EGCB), at a tariff of US cents 4.4140 per kilowatt hour, with an estimated cost of Tk 21,675.04 crore. Another proposal to procure electricity from the Haripur 412 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant at a tariff of US cents 3.8753 per kilowatt hour, with an estimated expenditure of Tk 19,864.13 crore, was also recommended. Officials said the revised tariffs would help maintain stability in the national power grid while reducing overall generation costs. Read More: Minorities also citizens, govt must act on atrocities: Touhid Hossain The committee meeting also approved a proposal from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education to hire UNICEF under a World Bank-financed project to improve pre-primary and primary education for forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban and Bhasan Char. The project cost has been estimated at Tk 203.87 crore. In addition, the committee approved a proposal from the Ministry of Land to procure services for the operation, development and maintenance of the Digital Land Record Management System (DLRMS) from Mysoft BD Limited at a cost of Tk 99.44 crore. The meeting further endorsed the appointment of international law firm White & Case LLP to provide legal services for defending the government in an arbitration case at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).