DNCC to import Tk 53.2m mosquito repellent, equipment

The cabinet committee on economic affairs at a meeting on Wednesday approved a proposal of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) to import mosquito repellent and different equipment like fogger machines worth Tk 53.2 million, reports UNB.

Finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, who presided over the meeting, said the DNCC will procure these medicines and machines within a month to kill mosquitoes, vectors of dengue and chikungunya.

As per the proposal, a local firm won the contract to supply 200 fogger machines, 150 hand-machines and 40,000 litres of mosquito repellent (5 per cent malathion) within a month.

The finance minister said the cabinet body approved the proposal to award the contract to the local supplier under direct procurement method (DPM) in order to save time.

"Had the open tender process been followed in this case, it would have been delayed. The approval to this procurement was given considering public interest so that these are supplied hurriedly," he added.

Mustafa Kamal claimed that works are now being done in a coordinated manner to prevent dengue following prime minister's directives.
"There was some misunderstanding about the issue, but now everything is being done in a coordinated way."

He also informed that the committee is yet to receive any proposal from Dhaka South City Corporation to procure such equipment and pesticide.

But they might move with the same proposal very soon, the finance minister said, adding that activities against mosquitoes will continue throughout the year.