FE Report
Dhaka will be keen to strike deals on manpower export and oil import with Riyadh during the upcoming Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia Joint Commission meeting, scheduled for February 25-26 in the capital city of the kingdom, a senior official in the finance ministry said.
Saudi Arabia is the largest manpower export destination for Bangladesh as nearly one-fourth of its expatriate workforce or 2.5 million are now working in the oil-rich country.
But since 2009, manpower import from Bangladesh and Iqama transfer (residence permit or work permit transfer) for Bangladeshi nationals remained almost closed.
Bangladesh has repeatedly requested the Saudi government to re-open its labour market for the country’s workers and allow job transfer, but there has been no response from the Saudi side, official sources said.
Issues to be discussed at the Joint Commission under the broad area of manpower export include recruitment of Bangladeshi skilled and semi-skilled workers, recruitment of domestic female workers, discussions on improving working conditions, wages and insurance of Bangladeshi workers serving in the KSA, formation of a joint committee on manpower, skill development training for Bangladeshi labour force and proposal for Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for manpower cooperation.
The Economic Relations Division (ERD) under the ministry of finance (MoF) is now busy fixing the issues and setting the priority areas to be put on the table for discussion. The ERD officials said though a good number of bilateral issues will be tabled at the meeting, manpower export and oil import on the basis of interest-free deferred payment would get special priority.
“We will push for deals on manpower export and oil import with the KSA,” a senior finance ministry official said.
He, however, said the position of the Saudi officials towards Bangladesh’s priorities would be known at the end of current month.
Other issues like cooperation on investment, health, education and culture, agriculture, youth and sports affairs and cooperation in the area of civil aviation will also be on the agenda for discussion, an ERD official said.
On promotion of bilateral trade, seven areas have already been finalised for discussion at the 10th Joint Commission meeting, a high official said.
The areas are increase of export from Bangladesh to KSA, holding of exhibition of Saudi products in Bangladesh, sharing of experiences in micro finance programme for small businesses, concessional duty and zero tariff for a large number of Bangladeshi products, proposal for MoU between Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and Saudi Arabia Standards Organisation(SASO) and exchange of trade delegations.
The finance officials said the ministry of commerce is now preparing a list of products that Bangladesh will seek duty- free access for in the KSA.
Other issues like expediting loan disbursement for cancer and ophthalmology hospital projects in Bangladesh, recruitment of doctors and nurses from Bangladesh and promotion of nursing services in Bangladesh would be brought to the attention of the Saudi side at the two-day session of the joint commission.
Source: Financial Express