TCP told to import 50,000 tons of urea on urgent basis

The federal government has asked Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) to import 50,000 tons of urea on urgent basis to curtail local shortage. Sources told Business Recorder on Thursday, that owing to rising shortage of urea in the country, the state run grain trader has given task to import urea from international market as import under Saudi Arabia Basic Industry Corporation (SABIC) agreement is delayed.
Following the directives, the Corporation released first urea import tender issued on Thursday to invite bids from international suppliers, they said. The federal government has also asked TCP to make all necessary measures for immediate import of urea and to ensure first consignment as soon as possible.
They said that TCP has issued an international Gallop tender No under clause 42d (III) of PPRA rules 2004 for immediate import of urea from pre-qualified foreign urea exporters/suppliers of TCP for supply of 50,000 tons of ten percent more or less seller's option in bulk through import from world-wide sources on C&F Karachi, Port Bin Qasim and Gwadar port.
In the tender, however, TCP has strictly asked suppliers for supply of urea in accordance with the standard and specifications as per described by Pakistan Standard &Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) for Urea and the conditions of the import policy under 2010.
According to TCP tender, interested pre-qualified urea suppliers, who can supply urea form world-wide origins, may submit their bids in sealed envelope at TCP offices till June 17, 2011 latest 1030 hours and bids will be opened on the same day after half an hour in the board room of, in presence of bidders or their authorised representatives.
Sources said that distribution, transportation and bagging of Urea would be handled by M/s National Fertiliser Marketing Limited (NFML) to provide the urea to farmers in time to meet their seasonal requirement. "Corporation was aware of the urea shortage in the domestic market and was closely monitoring the international market, therefore it has already made strategy for the import of quality urea", said a high official of TCP.
He informed that TCP has all set to import urea from international market on urgent basis to meet the local demand and we are expecting that first urea consignment will reach Karachi in last week of June or first week of July. TCP required five days for bank guarantee and a few more days will be required for loading and shipment, he added.
TCP will make all out efforts to import urea at affordable rate despite the fact that prices in the international market are on higher side, he said. It may be mentioned here that TCP has successfully completed urea import of 0.225 million in 2011. While in 2010, TCP has imported 0.813 million tons of urea, out of which some 0.313 million tons of commodity was imported under SABIC agreement and 0.5 million tons directly procured from international market.