Dhaka for duty-free access of 129 items to Jakarta
Nazmul Ahsan | Friday, 1 April 2011
Nazmul Ahsan
Dhaka has sought duty-free market access of its 129 potential items to Jakarta, commerce ministry sources said. The proposal has recently been submitted to Indonesian government through Bangladesh mission in Jakarta as Bangladesh-Indonesia Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting, held in Tingi, Indonesia in August last year, decided to offer this facility to Bangladesh, a high official in the ministry said. "The proposal, if granted by the Indonesian government according to the decision of the JEC meeting, will help boost the country's export to Indonesia," a trade official said. The major items against which duty-free access have been sought include shrimp, potato flakes, tobacco, woven and knit garments of different categories, T-shirt, men/boys trousers, toilet paper, soup, plastic products, handbag, carton, cotton yarn and cotton wastes, jute yarn, knitted or crocheted fabrics, toilet & kitchen linen, footwear, tableware, refrigerator, LCD& LED TV. Officials said the proposed duty-free facility is expected to be given to Bangladesh soon on non-reciprocal basis. Bangladesh exported goods worth $45.58 million to Indonesia in 2009-2010 fiscal year. The major exported items include frozen food, shrimp, footwear, garments items and electronic goods, according to data of Export Promotion Bureau. Trade officials said the bilateral relations between the two countries would be bolstered further in the coming days as both the countries signed a visa exemption agreement for diplomats and government officials in the last JEC meeting in Tingi, Indonesia. The agreement will also consider arrival visa and visa exemption facilities for business people and normal passport holders of both the countries as the next step of cooperation, a trade official said. The commerce ministry officials said a business delegation from Bangladesh will visit Indonesia sometime in 2011 to attract Indonesian investors in investing in the country's different sectors. The Export Processing Zones and Economic Zones have already attracted many potential investors of Asian countries to relocate their business from different countries and set up new ventures here, officials said.
Dhaka has sought duty-free market access of its 129 potential items to Jakarta, commerce ministry sources said. The proposal has recently been submitted to Indonesian government through Bangladesh mission in Jakarta as Bangladesh-Indonesia Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting, held in Tingi, Indonesia in August last year, decided to offer this facility to Bangladesh, a high official in the ministry said. "The proposal, if granted by the Indonesian government according to the decision of the JEC meeting, will help boost the country's export to Indonesia," a trade official said. The major items against which duty-free access have been sought include shrimp, potato flakes, tobacco, woven and knit garments of different categories, T-shirt, men/boys trousers, toilet paper, soup, plastic products, handbag, carton, cotton yarn and cotton wastes, jute yarn, knitted or crocheted fabrics, toilet & kitchen linen, footwear, tableware, refrigerator, LCD& LED TV. Officials said the proposed duty-free facility is expected to be given to Bangladesh soon on non-reciprocal basis. Bangladesh exported goods worth $45.58 million to Indonesia in 2009-2010 fiscal year. The major exported items include frozen food, shrimp, footwear, garments items and electronic goods, according to data of Export Promotion Bureau. Trade officials said the bilateral relations between the two countries would be bolstered further in the coming days as both the countries signed a visa exemption agreement for diplomats and government officials in the last JEC meeting in Tingi, Indonesia. The agreement will also consider arrival visa and visa exemption facilities for business people and normal passport holders of both the countries as the next step of cooperation, a trade official said. The commerce ministry officials said a business delegation from Bangladesh will visit Indonesia sometime in 2011 to attract Indonesian investors in investing in the country's different sectors. The Export Processing Zones and Economic Zones have already attracted many potential investors of Asian countries to relocate their business from different countries and set up new ventures here, officials said.