Commercial counsellors at Kunming, Istanbul missions soon

The government has initiated a move to appoint commercial counsellors at Istanbul and Kunming missions considering trade potential, officials said.  
"We have taken steps to appoint commercial counsellors in Istanbul of Turkey and Kunming of China for boosting our exports there. We hope it will be done very soon," senior secretary of the ministry of commerce (MoC) Hedayetullah Al Mamoon told the FE.
He said that the Commerce Ministry has discussed with officials of different ministries to revitalise the missions' activities needed to gear up the country's exports.
Mr Mamoon said the missions will be linked with the Bangladesh Trade Portal soon as well.
The government has set a target to earn US$60 billion through shipment of goods by 2021 in order to turn Bangladesh into a middle-income country.
The government has set an export target $ 33,500 million during the fiscal year (FY) 2015-16. From July to December of the current fiscal, the shipment was $16,083.90 million, which was $ 14914.21 million during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.  
The government routinely gives directives to the overseas missions, especially commercials counsellors to achieve the country's export target.
Bangladesh has 53 missions abroad. The export income of the missions from July to December of the FY 2015-16 was $ 15,647.25 million, which is 97.29 per cent of national export proceeds.
The missions, which have achieved their export targets, are Canberra in Australia, New Delhi, Tokyo, Singapore, Dubai, Yangon, London, Kuala Lumpur, Ottawa, Berlin, Madrid, Washington, Brunei, Nairobi, Kuwait, Seoul, Jakarta, Doha, Bangkok, Tripoli, Muscat, Mexico City, Manila, Hanoi, Lisbon, Port Louis, Tashkent and Colombo.   
Missions in Brussels, Beijing, Tehran, Moscow, Geneva, Manama, Thimphu, Cairo, Athens, Hong Kong, Rome, Amman, Beirut, the Hague, Riyadh, Stockholm, Brasilia, Baghdad, Islamabad, Pretoria, Male, Rabat, Paris and Ankara missed the export target.  
Welcoming the government move, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Abdul Matlub Ahmad said, "The Chinese businessmen in Kunming are highly interested to bolster business ties with Bangladesh. Bangladesh will get huge benefit if the commercial wing of the mission starts functioning".
He said the distance between Dhaka and Kunming is shorter than that of Kunming to Beijing distance. The Chinese entrepreneurs have to go the Bangladesh Embassy in Beijing, covering a tedious long distance.   
"If the mission/commercial wing in Kunming starts functioning, then more Chinese businessmen will visit Bangladesh that will enormously help increase bilateral trade and investment," he said.    
About Istanbul, he said that Ankara is the capital of Turkey, but Istanbul is the commercial capital of Turkey.
The city has an advantage of close proximity with Europe, helping Bangladesh increase its trade with the European Union countries through Turkey.  
"Bangladesh and Turkey are two brotherly countries and commercial ties between them are now excellent. We need their products and they also need our products," said Mr Ahmad.
"It is like win-win. If the mission/commercial counsellor in Istanbul starts operation, then it will benefit both the countries equally," he added.
[email protected]