DEPZ comes under partial automation

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FE Report
Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ) came under partial automation Monday putting three of its administrative areas online to reduce the lead time and cost of the investors.
Officials said export, import and sub-contract processes of DEPZ have been made online on a priority out of the 13 steps identified in a study in 2008.
They said out of 92 DEPZ companies, initially 15 big companies will enjoy automation facilities under a pilot project, initiated jointly by Bangladesh EPZ Authority (BEPZA) and Bangladesh Investment Climate Fund (BICF) of International Finance Corporation.
The DEPZ automation system, second of its kind after Chittagong EPZ, was launched at its Savar premises on Monday by handing over the first online export order to Youngone, one of the leading Korean investors.
BEPZA and IFC-BICF with the support DFID and EU organised ceremony where BEPZA executive chairman Jamil Ahmed Khan attended chief guest while Senior Programme Manager of IFC Syed Akter Mahmood as special guest.
DEPZ General Manager Md Ashraful Kabir, IFC Programme Manager of Economic Zone Martin Norman, member finance of BEPZA AKM Mahbubur Rahman and director of Business Automation Ltd Jahidul Hasan Mitul also spoke.
While inaugurating the online service, the BEPZA executive said EPZs tender process will be put under automation to reduce practices of paper works.
He said after evaluating the success of the DEPZ automation system, BEPZA will go for its expansion to other EPZs in the country.
Mr Jamil Ahmed Khan hoped that all the investors of EPZ would adapt to the new system.
Acknowledging the challenges in making the operation of the DEPZ automation system successful the IFC senior programme manager emphasised on public-private-partnership for ensuring full automation in the economic zones.
Martin Norman said BICF's pilot reform programme was designed to create more modern, competitive economic zones and added that through BEPZA and the EPZs, the scope for replicating best practices from zones all over the world was possible.
The Director of Business Automation Ltd, the software developer and IT service provider to the DEPZ automation system, identified the challenges to full automation of the EPZs and stressed for its continuity and upgradation.