The government has approved the import of refined petroleum products worth around Tk 12,537 crore for the remaining months of this year under government-to-government (G2G) arrangements with state-owned companies in China and Indonesia.

The approval was given at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase on Wednesday.

Under the decision, refined fuel will be procured from Unipec and PetroChina of China and Indonesia’s BSP under G2G agreements. The Finance Ministry’s notification did not specify the quantity of fuel to be imported.

The government also relaxed the previous requirement that fuel be procured in a 50:50 ratio through G2G agreements and international tenders. The revised decision allows imports through G2G arrangements from the designated foreign state-owned suppliers.

Earlier, the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase had recommended importing around Tk 16,088 crore worth of refined petroleum products from six foreign state-owned suppliers under G2G agreements for the July-December 2026 period.

Separately, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave policy approval to purchase 695,000 tonnes of gas oil and jet fuel without international tenders during the same period. Direct procurement without a tender requires policy approval from the committee.

The government has been increasing fuel imports from multiple sources amid volatility in international markets and geopolitical uncertainty to ensure uninterrupted energy supplies.

In July, the government decided to import an additional 480,000 tonnes of fuel, comprising 390,000 tonnes of diesel and 90,000 tonnes of jet fuel, to meet domestic demand.

Meanwhile, LNG supplies have also been increased alongside domestic gas production to maintain gas availability.

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) Chairman Dr Md Rafiqul Islam said on September 15 that the country currently faces no fuel oil shortage and that supplies remain secure through December.

The latest import decision is expected to further strengthen fuel supplies and stock levels in the coming months.