Trade leaders urge govt to ensure gas, power supply to industries

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Industries Minister Dilip Barua seen with the leaders of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) at his office in the city Wednesday. President Md Sabur Khan, Senior Vice President Nessar Maksud Khan, Vice President Absar Karim Chowdhury and dir

FE Report Business leaders Wednesday urged the government to start giving new gas connection and ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to the industries for the sake of country's greater economic interest. They also emphasised the need for imposing more duty on imported finished goods which are produced in the country and not slapping more tax on importing industrial raw materials. The newly-elected leaders of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) raised the demands while they met Industries Minister Dilip Barua at his office in the city. The DCCI has undertaken initiative to create 2,000 new entrepreneurs in the country which will generate employment, DCCI President Md Sabur Khan said in his written statement during the meeting. The industries minister gave a patient hearing to the businessmen's demands and said the present government is committed to expedite industrialisation in cooperation with private sector. He urged the businessmen and industrialists to come forward against the current trend of destructive political activities like hartal and vandalism. "The opposition alliance is hindering trade and investment through hartal and anarchy at a time when the country's economic growth is increasing under the leadership of the present government," he mentioned. Dilip Barua noted that his ministry is working to reduce rate of interest on small and medium enterprises' (SME) loan into single digit and also taking efforts to reconsider the existing tariff and non-tariff barrier issues in order to facilitate local industries. DCCI President Md Sabur Khan in his speech said that the industrialisation is being hampered largely because of not having gas connections and short supply of power and energy. "Both local and foreign investment will be discouraged if such negative trend continues. The government should take time-befitting initiative to ensure uninterrupted supply of gas and power to the industries for the sake of country's greater economic interest," he added. Emphasising on strengthening Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), DCCI President said since BSTI's accreditation is not accepted world-wide we have to accredit our products by foreign accreditation companies which is time consuming and costly. DCCI Senior Vice President Nessar Maksud Khan, Vice President Absar Karim Chowdhury, Directors Haider Ahmed Khan, FCA, Humayun Rashid, M Abu Hurairah, Khondoker Shahidul Islam, Hossain A Sikder, Alhaj Abdus Salam and Md Shoaib Choudhury were also present.