|
|
Change Your Life! |
Entrepreneurs’
recommendations for export ignored by Govt. |
|
News |
April 20, 2000
Dhaka,
Apr 19 (UNB) – The government today came under fire in the Export
Promotion Council meeting where entrepreneurs alleged their
recommendations for boosting export were ignored. In
the 32nd meeting of the Council at a local Hotel, the
businessmen also expressed dissatisfaction over delayed implementation of
the government decisions, including Prime Minister’s order, and the
government machinery for not functioning properly. “I
think, only 10-15 percent of our recommendations were implemented since
1980,” Salman F Rahman, President of Bangladesh Textile Mills
Association (BTMA), told the meeting in presence Commerce Minister Abdul
Jalil who presided over the meeting. Federation
of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) president Abdul
Awal Mintoo said the authority issued a circular yesterday (Tuesday), 10
months after the budget, on 10 per cent cash incentive to leather sector. The
minister himself blasted the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) for a comment
in the working paper prepared for the meeting. On
the progress of a PM’s directive for allotting a house to establish
Banglacraft Research and Design centre, the working paper commented,
“authority concern may take emergency step in this regard.” Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina on October 17, 1999 ordered officials concern to
allot a house for development of design and quality of handicrafts. “I
don’t want to see this type of work anymore,” the Commerce Minister
told the EPB vice-chairman sitting beside him expressing annoyance. Bangladesh
Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) vice-president
Annisul Huq alleged that the government machinery did nothing except
repetition of the previous recommendations to present in the meeting. He
said 202 recommendations were reproduced from 1999 while 198 from 1998 to
prepare a working paper with 256 recommendations for this meeting. “We
have attended many such meetings that yielded nothing. It is wastage of
time. We want specific decision from this meeting. We want to see what are
the decisions implemented in last one year,” Huq said.
|