Bangladesh needs to do 'a lot to become middle-income country'
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
FE Report
Bangladesh has to do a lot to become a middle-income country or a new Asian tiger by 2021, Dutch Ambassador in Dhaka Alphons Hennekens said Tuesday.
"To truly develop the country's potential as an emerging market, the level of investment - both local and foreign - has to increase. Creating a proper investment climate is the government's task," he said while addressing a seminar in the city.
Mr Hennekens was speaking at the seminar on 'Business to Business Support Programmes for Private Sector Development' at the auditorium of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).
The Netherlands Embassy and the DCCI jointly organised the seminar with the chamber president Abul Kasem Khan in the chair.
The aim of the seminar was to provide entrepreneurs and chambers with practical information on the private sector investment (PSI) programme, match making facility (MMF) and infrastructure development programme (ORIO) of the Dutch government, said Alphons Hennekens.
He said Dutch government provides a maximum grant of 750,000 euro for setting up innovative joint ventures with international business partners.
"Setting up a joint venture requires two companies. We offer services to Bangladeshi entrepreneurs to find a suitable Dutch business partner through our match making facility."
The MMF aims to help Bangladeshi companies source a suitable business partner in the Netherlands and the ORIO programme provides a 50 per cent grant for infrastructure projects worth 2 million (20 lakh) to 60 million euro, the ambassador said.
He said a successful joint venture established with the help of one of the B2B support programmes is the one that stimulates the private sector, creates employment and provides transfer of knowledge.
"The thriving private sector is the engine behind economic growth in Bangladesh. Enabling the private sector to develop will create the growth figures needed to achieve middle-income status."
Bangladesh has to do a lot to become a middle-income country or a new Asian tiger by 2021, Dutch Ambassador in Dhaka Alphons Hennekens said Tuesday.
"To truly develop the country's potential as an emerging market, the level of investment - both local and foreign - has to increase. Creating a proper investment climate is the government's task," he said while addressing a seminar in the city.
Mr Hennekens was speaking at the seminar on 'Business to Business Support Programmes for Private Sector Development' at the auditorium of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).
The Netherlands Embassy and the DCCI jointly organised the seminar with the chamber president Abul Kasem Khan in the chair.
The aim of the seminar was to provide entrepreneurs and chambers with practical information on the private sector investment (PSI) programme, match making facility (MMF) and infrastructure development programme (ORIO) of the Dutch government, said Alphons Hennekens.
He said Dutch government provides a maximum grant of 750,000 euro for setting up innovative joint ventures with international business partners.
"Setting up a joint venture requires two companies. We offer services to Bangladeshi entrepreneurs to find a suitable Dutch business partner through our match making facility."
The MMF aims to help Bangladeshi companies source a suitable business partner in the Netherlands and the ORIO programme provides a 50 per cent grant for infrastructure projects worth 2 million (20 lakh) to 60 million euro, the ambassador said.
He said a successful joint venture established with the help of one of the B2B support programmes is the one that stimulates the private sector, creates employment and provides transfer of knowledge.
"The thriving private sector is the engine behind economic growth in Bangladesh. Enabling the private sector to develop will create the growth figures needed to achieve middle-income status."