Govt Purchasing Books Worth Tk 78Cr for Primary

The government has decided to purchase 2,48,35,990 copies of textbooks from 24 bidders through the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) under the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. The cost for this has been estimated at Tk 78,68,13,910. These books will be distributed to the students for free.

A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) was held virtually on Wednesday. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the meeting. 

At the end of the meeting, Md. Rahat Anwar, additional secretary of the Cabinet Divison, briefed reporters. 

Md. Rahat Anwar said that CCEA’s 23rd meeting and the 31st meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) were held today. In the meeting, “four proposals were presented” for the approval of the CCGP. 

Among the purchase proposals were two from the Ministry of Agriculture, one from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and one from the Ministry of Commerce, he also said, adding, “All approved.”

The total amount of four proposals approved by the purchase committee is Tk 1,007,15,05,410. Out of the total financing, GOB will spend Tk 267,71,63,910 and the domestic bank loan will be Tk 739,43,41,500. 

Earlier, the government approved the purchase of 11,20,01,474 textbooks for the 2023 academic year to distribute free books to the students in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase (CCPP) held on September 21. These textbooks will be distributed at primary and secondary levels through NCTB under the Secondary and Higher Education Division and the cost is Tk 489,25,28,926.