The committee on land-tariff fixation for the economic zones (EZs) will be reconstituted for determining tariffs for the investors at revised rates, where deemed fit.
As per instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the fourth governing body meeting of Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) Wednesday, a fresh committee would be formed with the senior secretary at the finance division as its head to fix tariffs of land of the EZs, said BEZA executive chairman Paban Chowdhury.
Earlier, a six-member committee placed a tariff proposal for EZ plots.
"The proposal of the committee would be scrutinised by the new committee alongside reviewing other aspects on fixation of the tariff plan," Mr Chowdhury said.
The tariff proposal of the committee was placed in the governing body meeting, chaired by the PM.
Also, the committee recommended empowering the BEZA executive board to offer a promotional price for all categories of land to the investors by reducing the fixed rent by 25 per cent for first two years of the establishment of an EZ.
In case of high demand for land, BEZA executive board can revise the land price upward by 25 per cent.
As per recommendations of the committee, rent for the land might be US$ 50 per square kilometre for 2017-2022, which is renewable every five years. Tenure of the contract would be set for 50 years for the land, starting from 50 to 500 acres.
For developed land, the committee recommended year-wise rent which is $3.0 per sq km in the area which is ready for production. For total land, the rent would be $ 2.0 per sq km.
Rent for power plant, liquefied natural gas terminal, Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) would be $ 50 for the tenure of 2018-2023 and renewable after five years.
Compliant factories will have to pay $4.0 monthly while it is $6.0 for commercial industry, the committee recommended.
Service charge on total tariffs is also fixed by the committee keeping a provision of 10 per cent hike on the WASA rate, recycling, purification charge of water, supply cost of power, purchase price of gas, operator charge for liquid waste purification.
Regulatory permit fees has been proposed Tk 500 followed by registration of industrial unit $500, design approval for industrial unit is Tk 10,000 and economic zone Tk 50,000.
Conservancy charge for per-square-metre land or building has been proposed $ 0.50 per year.
The schedule of the service charge needs to be approved for leasing the government economic zones. The executive board of BEZA will fix the rates.
The BEZA executive board can be empowered to allocate land of the government-operated tourism park to hotel, motel, villa, shopping centre through issuing Request for Proposal (RFP), the committee recommended.
At the fourth meeting of the BEZA governing board, one-stop service policy got approval in principle. The board also approved Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA) to establish an EZ in Mirersarai. Building Construction Rules also got approval of the board in the meeting.
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