Bangladesh fulfilled all requirements to get back GSP: Tofail

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed on Wednesday said Bangladesh has fulfilled all the requirements to get back the GSP facilities in US market.
"Bangladesh has met all the conditions possible for it. Visiting USTR team has become satisfied with the initiatives of ensuring factory safety and labour rights. So, there is no bar to get back the GSP in US market," he said while meeting with the eight-member delegation of United States Trade Representative (USTR), led by its assistant for South and Central Asia Michael J Delaney, at his secretariat office in the capital.
In the meeting, implementation of action plan set by US and issues of mutual interest were discussed, a BSS report said.
Tofail Ahmed said the United States did not give GSP facilities to Bangladesh's RMG. The US used to give GSP facilities to some items like tobacco, plastic and ceramic, etc, the volume of which will not be more than $23 million US Dollars, he said.
Tofail said, "the issue of GSP is a matter of image crisis for the country and not much of financial losses."
Senior Commerce Secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamun, and additional secretaries M Shawkat Ali Warechhi, Amitab Chakrabarti and Zahir Uddin, among others, were present in the meeting.
-SS