The cabinet committee on government purchase on Thursday approved procurement of 12,500 tonnes of sugar for the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
Later, the sweet substance will be sold at a subsidised rate among people on low incomes.
The approval was given during a meeting held virtually with finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, cabinet division's additional secretary Sayed Mahbub Khan said sugar would be brought from Brazil at Tk 659 million.
The JMI Export and Import Company will import the item. Each tonne of sugar will cost $524.21.
Amid inadequate supply, each kilogram of unpacked sugar now sells at Tk 120. On the other hand, most of the shops in different markets have no stock of packed sugar.
The committee also approved a proposal for the procurement of 160,000 tonnes of fertiliser at Tk 13 billion.
Of the total fertilisers, 100,000 tonnes of Muriate of Potash will be bought by agriculture ministry from Belgrade at Tk 9.06 billion each tonne to cost $854.
Also, the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) will buy 30,000 tonnes of bulk granular urea from Muntajat of Qatar at Tk 2.01 billion.
Each tonne of fertiliser will cost $624.17.
Moreover, the BCIC will buy 30,000 tonnes of bagged granular urea from KAFCO at Tk 1.91 billion where each tonne of fertiliser will cost the exchequer $597.
The committee also passed three proposals of the Road Transport and Highways Division under the 'SASEC Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Road Development' project involving Tk 17.42 billion.
Primary and mass education ministry's proposal on book publication, two proposals of shipping ministry on river dredging by cutter suction dredgers and two proposals of local government division regarding work under 'Rural Connectivity Improvement Project' were also approved.
