New Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said on Tuesday he will focus on more employment generation, tapping full potentials of the economic zones (EZs), and fetching foreign direct investment (FDI) to achieve the country's economic goals.
"We want to increase our export volume through job creation, utilise prospects of zone-wise economic activities, and attract more FDI," said the minister who took over the responsibility of the ministry.
Mr Munshi was speaking at a press conference to brief newsmen about the 24th Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) 2019, organised by Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) of Bangladesh at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital.
Commerce Secretary Md Mofizul Islam and EPB Vice Chairman Bijoy Bhattacharjee were present at the conference, among others.
The commerce minister also said besides ready-made garments (RMG), sectors like leather and pharmaceuticals are also important for increasing the country's export volume.
"There is a target for earning US$ 50 billion through export. To this end, RMG is the key sector. Besides, leather and pharmaceuticals are also vital sectors," he added.
According to the organisers, President Abdul Hamid will inaugurate the month-long trade fair this afternoon (Wednesday).
The expo will remain open for the visitors from 10.00 am to 10.00 pm every day. DITF 2019 will come to an end on February 08.
Ticket price for each adult and minor is Tk 30 and Tk 20 respectively. This year tickets will be available online for the first time, in addition to the traditional ticket counters at the fair venue.
The visitors can also get related services through a website - www.e-ditf.com - and a smart-phone app.
Briefing the media, the commerce secretary said there will be a total of 605 stalls of various categories in the fair, including pavilion, mini pavilion and premiere stall.
"Moreover, there will be other facilities, such as - bank booth, mosque, car parking, fire station and information centre, to make the event successful."
There will also be a Bangabandhu Pavilion to highlight the country's Liberation War and related historical events, he added.
According to EPB, a total of 52 organisations from 22 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Iran, Pakistan, Australia and Japan, are participating in the expo.
Responding to a query from the media, Bijoy Bhattacharjee said the construction of proposed permanent venue for DITF at Purbachal is going on in full swing.
"We expect that the world-class facility will be prepared by December 2020. Consequently, the international event will be held at the new venue in 2021," he added.
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