Alliance govt didn't select CIPs on political ground!
Sunday, 19 August 2007
No businessmen were awarded with the commercially important person (CIP) status by the immediate past four-party alliance government because it felt that most businesses were inclined toward the then opposition Awami League (AL), officials and businessmen have alleged.
According to the government rules every year product-wise CIPs will be selected on the basis of extraordinary contribution to export promotion, officials with the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) said.
"We've sought applications from businessmen for CIP selection every year during the past BNP-led alliance government," an EPB official told bdnews24.com Saturday, asking not to be named.
"After scrutiny, the EPB sent the files to the commerce ministry, but every time, nothing happened after that," the official said.
Bangladesh Garment Manu-facturers and Exporters Asso-ciation (BGMEA) President Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury, a 2001 CIP, said the government had sought applications every year from 2001.
"Accordingly, we took clearance from the special branch (SB) of police," Chowdhury said. "But mysteriously the government did not finally select any CIP."
Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA) President Kazi Belayet Hossain, another CIP, echoed the BGMEA president.
He said he had heard that most eligible businesses were of AL-leaning for which the BNP-led government did not select CIPs.
When asked Commerce Secretary Firoz Ahmed told the news agency that he did not know why the past government had not selected CIPs in its five-year tenure.
On the alleged political reasons for not selecting CIPs in time, Ahmed said: "I really don't know anything."
"We're doing it faster this year," said Ahmed who took charge as commerce secretary, a few months before the BNP government transferred power to caretaker government.
CIP status is given to 165 businessmen in two categories-export and trade-as recognition of their contribution to the national economy.
In favour of the government, the EPB seeks applications every year and does the primary selection before sending it to the commerce ministry that sends those files to the Cabinet Division for final approval.
This year, the EPB will receive applications for CIPs selection until August 31. The primary selection committee headed by a director general of the EPB will scrutinise the papers of the applicants, including loans, tax defaults and home-ministry clearance.
After finalising the list, the commerce ministry will send it to the Cabinet Division between November 1 and November 15 for final vetting by the government, the EPB officials said.
The final list of CIPs will be announced by December 15.
According to the CIP Guidelines 2006, about 165 businessmen will be selected for CIPs. Of them, 40 will be selected in line with positions as presidents of different business chambers and associations.
The remaining 125 people will be selected on the basis of their contribution to product exports.
The products include raw jute, jute goods, leather and leather goods, frozen foods, tea, woven, knitwear, agro products and processing, light engineering, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, plastics, computer software and services and data processing.
According to the government rules every year product-wise CIPs will be selected on the basis of extraordinary contribution to export promotion, officials with the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) said.
"We've sought applications from businessmen for CIP selection every year during the past BNP-led alliance government," an EPB official told bdnews24.com Saturday, asking not to be named.
"After scrutiny, the EPB sent the files to the commerce ministry, but every time, nothing happened after that," the official said.
Bangladesh Garment Manu-facturers and Exporters Asso-ciation (BGMEA) President Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury, a 2001 CIP, said the government had sought applications every year from 2001.
"Accordingly, we took clearance from the special branch (SB) of police," Chowdhury said. "But mysteriously the government did not finally select any CIP."
Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA) President Kazi Belayet Hossain, another CIP, echoed the BGMEA president.
He said he had heard that most eligible businesses were of AL-leaning for which the BNP-led government did not select CIPs.
When asked Commerce Secretary Firoz Ahmed told the news agency that he did not know why the past government had not selected CIPs in its five-year tenure.
On the alleged political reasons for not selecting CIPs in time, Ahmed said: "I really don't know anything."
"We're doing it faster this year," said Ahmed who took charge as commerce secretary, a few months before the BNP government transferred power to caretaker government.
CIP status is given to 165 businessmen in two categories-export and trade-as recognition of their contribution to the national economy.
In favour of the government, the EPB seeks applications every year and does the primary selection before sending it to the commerce ministry that sends those files to the Cabinet Division for final approval.
This year, the EPB will receive applications for CIPs selection until August 31. The primary selection committee headed by a director general of the EPB will scrutinise the papers of the applicants, including loans, tax defaults and home-ministry clearance.
After finalising the list, the commerce ministry will send it to the Cabinet Division between November 1 and November 15 for final vetting by the government, the EPB officials said.
The final list of CIPs will be announced by December 15.
According to the CIP Guidelines 2006, about 165 businessmen will be selected for CIPs. Of them, 40 will be selected in line with positions as presidents of different business chambers and associations.
The remaining 125 people will be selected on the basis of their contribution to product exports.
The products include raw jute, jute goods, leather and leather goods, frozen foods, tea, woven, knitwear, agro products and processing, light engineering, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, plastics, computer software and services and data processing.