BEZA getting free hand to act expeditiously

Rezaul Karim | Published: November 08, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

Government authorities have decided to empower Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) to act expeditiously for development activities in the special zones meant for boosting investment, officials said.
The prime minister's office (PMO) took the decision, in principle, at a progress-review meeting on EZ activities. Md. Abul Kalam Azad, senior secretary of the office, presided.Â Â Â Â
Sources said under the move, the decision had been taken mainly to speed up the proposed special economic zones' overall activities in future.
The Executive Board (EB) of the government entity faces many difficulties in taking urgent decisions as it is required to look to the highest body for the direction.
Â "As a result, the overall activities of the BEZA are going slow and, especially, rate of implementation of its different projects is delayed," said one source.
The PMO has decided to empower the EB of the BEZA to give approval for the request for proposal (RFP) documents of any projects in the EZs.
Besides, the EB will be able to take various important decisions as and when the authority needs, sources said.
The PMO has asked specific proposals from the BEZA as early as possible as to which decisions should be kept under the BEZA, they added.
The proposals will be presented in the next progress-review meeting of the PMO on the EZs soon, they said.
"There is no need to change the existing BEZA Act or policy to approve request for proposal (RFP) documents and to take other core decisions in time of need by the EB of BEZA if the PMO gives us the go-ahead on the proposal concerned sent from the BEZA," Muhammad Abdus Samad, Secretary of the BEZA, told the FE Friday.
The move has been taken mainly to remove the sloth in the proposed EZs development activities, he said. Â
Soon, the BEZA authorities will send a proposal to the PMO in this connection, Md. Moniruzzaman, Deputy Secretary and Manager, Investment Promotion, of the BEZA, told the FE.
Consisting of Executive Chairman (as Chief Executive) and three executive members, the EB of BEZA oversees day-to-day operation of the agency.
The Executive Board exercises all powers and performs all functions as may be exercised and performed by the Authority.
The highest body of the BEZA is Governing Board (GB) that undertakes overall policy decisions. It is headed by the prime minister.
Under the Economic Zones Act 2010, government established the BEZA to regulate and oversee the new zones. BEZA in 2012 started working to establish economic zones in different areas of the country having the potential to contribute to a boost to the national economy.
In the first phase, the following sites have been selected: Mirsarai in Chittagong, Gohira in Anowara of Chittagong, Sirajganj, Sherpur in Moulvibazar and Mongla seaport area in Bagerhat.
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