Exporters eye larger apparel export to Japan
Bangladesh will offer either an industrial park or a special economic zone for Chinese investors to invest here in a larger scale during business leaders’ coming China visit, said the FBCCI president here on Sunday.
“Invest and develop your industries here. We promise, we’ll give you an industrial park or a special economic zone. We’ll tell them that Bangladesh is a safe destination for investment,” FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed told a press conference at its conference room.
He hinted that there might be a positive outcome over a deep seaport to be built at Sonadia Island near Cox’s Bazar during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming China visit.
The Primer Minister is scheduled to fly to China on June 6 on a five-day official visit while FBCCI delegation, led by its President, will go to China on June 4.
China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC), a subsidiary of state-owned China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC), has shown interest in financing and constructing the port, which would boost the country’s GDP growth by 2 percent.
The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) arranged the press conference to brief media about their recent Japan visit.
FBCCI first vice president Monwara Hakim Ali, vice president M Helal Uddin,
Bangladesh Garment Manufactories and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President M Atiqul Islam were, among others, present.
Responding to a question, the FBBCI President said he would attend China-South Asia Business Forum and China-South Asia Expo in Kunming where they would discuss issues relating to investment and expansion of trade between the two countries.
“We’ll also have a meeting with business leaders in Beijing,” Kazi Akram said.
The FBCCI President said Bangladesh’s export might reach US$ 50 billion within a year if Bangladesh can grab 10 percent share of Japan’s total import.
BGMEA President Atiqul Islam said Japan imports apparels worth US$ 31.78 billion. “It’s a huge… Japan imports only 1.77 percent of its total apparel import from Bangladesh.”
He further said, “We told them to import more from Bangladesh and take it to 10 percent to minimise the huge trade gap (almost 50 percent) that remains in favour of Japan.”
Responding to another question on black money whitening, the FBCCI president said they favour investment of undisclosed money in education and human resource development with ‘certain conditions’.
Source: UNBConnect