Desk Report
Published: 14 Sep 2021, 10:17 pm
Bangladesh Govt logo || Photo: Collected
The government today approved a proposal in principle for
implementing the public works for setting up a 200-bed COVID Field Hospital at
the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Convention Center.
The approval came from the 25th meeting of the Cabinet
Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in this year held today virtually with
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting virtually, the finance
minister said that the government has already taken decision to set up a
1000-bed Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Convention Center at the
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
In continuation of this, the CCEA meeting today gave
approval to the proposal for following the Direct Procurement Method (DPM) for
implementing the public works for setting up 200-bed COVID Field Hospital in
the first phase at the earliest possible time following the section 68(1) of
the PPA 2006 and section 76(2) of the PPR, 2008.
Kamal said that the construction of the COVID Field Hospital
would cost around Taka 10.22 crore adding that the proposed hospital would help
to a big extent in rendering health services if the COVID-19 infection rate is
increased again.
Answering to a question, he said that the government hopes
that there would be no requirement for such field hospital in future.
"But, the government is very much committed in this regard and it also
hopes that the pandemic will come to an end."
Replying to another question, the finance minister said that
the Bangladesh Bank and the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission
(BSEC) would work accordingly regarding stock, cash and bonus dividend.
He said both the entities would also work as per the
concerned laws and also as per the commitment of the government in the national
budget.
Prior to the CCEA meeting, the 31st meeting of the Cabinet
Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) was held today with Finance Minister
AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.
The meeting approved a proposal for printing, binding and
supplying of some 1,88,75,735 textbooks of both Bangla and English (class 1,
class 2) in 72 lots from some 25 lowest responsive bidders with around Taka
33,95,75,775.
The finance minister said the government hopes to continue
free distribution of textbooks to students in the next year also.