Govt to give spl incentive to eco-friendly industries

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FE Report
The industries ministry has proposed special incentive in the draft industrial policy for setting up eco-friendly industrial units and effluent treatment plants, said Industries Minister Dilip Barua Thursday.
"We are going to formulate an environment-friendly industrial policy as we are severely affected by the climate change," he said at a press conference in the city.
The ministry has uploaded the draft industrial policy and people can give their opinions about the policy by December 24, he added.
People can download the draft by logging on www.moind.gov.bd and send their opinions at addlsecy@moind.gov.bd or alam3653@gmail.com.
The policy suggested that all polluting units must have effluent treatment plants (ETP) to save the environment, Mr Barua said.
"Bangladesh is not responsible for climate change; rather we are the victim and we should be compensated for that," he asserted.
The tannery plants will be relocated to Savar as soon as possible as there is a High Court directive, he said adding, "And there is a compulsion to do so as the European Union will not buy Bangladeshi leather products if those are not produced in an environment-friendly area."
The proposed industrial policy said that foreign investors will get special residentship if they invest a certain amount of money and non-resident Bangladeshis will get similar privileges as of foreign investors.
The government will sit with Bangladesh Bank and different gar- ment-related associations and fix an export target and formulate an action plan to achieve the target, Mr Barua said.
Shipbuilding and information technology are declared thrust sectors and they will be provided with special incentives, he added.
Economic zones, industrial park, hi-tech park, technology park and software village will be set up and the export sector will be patronised.
"Economic zones will be set up at the less developed districts in the northern areas and infrastructure will be developed to set up industries there," Mr Barua said.
The tax holiday scheme will be continued under the Income Tax Ordinance, 1984, he said.
The minister said the state-owned industries will not be privatised at a wholesale rate; rather state-owned enterprise (SoE) managements should be changed and improved for making the organisations profitable.
The government also wants an exit policy for sick industries as there is no point to operate loss-making companies for an indefinite period, he said.
Institutional activities will be taken to make the society knowledge-based and intellectual property right laws will be made at par with international laws, he added.
"The bureaucratic attitude to private sector has now become investment friendly," Mr Barua said.
"Many perceive that the work of industries ministry is to privatise SoEs but we are working to make them profitable to create more employment opportunities," he said.
The government inherited shabby gas and power supply situation and poor infrastructure from the previous government and it is trying to improve the situation, he added.
"Many foreign investors went back due to poor service they received from different government agencies during the period of the last government," the minister said.
The law enforcing agencies are instructed to take stern action against extortion and the government is vocal against rent seeking, he said.