Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) dispatched some 15,000 tons rice to Cuba as a gift from people of Pakistan. Sources told Business Recorder on Friday that it was after a long gap that the state-run grain trader has made a export shipment of rice, procured from domestic exporters/traders amounting to around Rs 689 million, while another rice export consignment is likely to be sent next month for Benin.
They said that some three domestic exporters/traders have supplied the commodity for the export/gift purpose and a ship `Mv Moleson' carrying 15,000 tons rice, including long grain white rice (IRRT-6) and super Basmati rice, has sailed to Cuba. Following the directives of the federal government in December last year, the TCP initiated procurement of some 15,000 tons of rice for sending it to Cuba as a `gift'. The TCP invited separate bids for procurement of 10,000 metric tons IRRT-6 and 5,000 metric tons super Basmati rice on Free on Board (FOB) basis.
Some 10 exporters/traders submitted bids for supplying IRRT-6. The tender award committee found that the lowest bid of Rs 34,490 per metric tons (exclusive of taxes) on COST & FOB (transit between seller's warehouses and loading on board/vessel) basis for a quantity of 5,000 metric tons IRRI-6 was quoted by M/s KAFI Commodities (Pvt) Limited. As the lowest bid was responsive and competitive, TCP declared M/s KAFI Commodities as successful bidder and issued the award letter for supply 5,000 metric tons to the firm.
As the total required quantity was 10,000 metric tons, the tender awarding committee cognisant of the fact that a single vessel has been hired through PNSC for dispatching the cargo and in view of urgency of the matter offered the second lowest bidder - M/s Noor Rice Mills - for price matching of first lowest bidder.
Claiming that the price matching request was justified in terms of Rule 42(v) (d) of the Public Procurement Rules, 2004, the sources said that M/s Noor Rice Mills accepted the offer and was issued letter for award for supplying remaining quantity of 5,000 metric tons IRRI-6 at a price of Rs 34,490 per metric ton COST & FOB. M/s Noor Rice Mills had earlier submitted bid for 5,000 metric tons of IRRI-6 at a price of Rs 34,987 per metric tons, the sources added..
With regard to procurement of 5,000 metric tons of super Basmati rice, sources said that some six exporters/traders submitted their bids and the tender award committee declared M/s Chappal Traders as the successful bidder as it offered 5,000 metric tons super Basmati rice at the rate of Rs 68,920 per metric ton, excluding taxes on COST & FOB (transit between seller's warehouses and loading on board/vessel) basis.