Draft salt policy okayed

The cabinet has approved the draft National Salt Policy-2011 with a view to slashing import and ensuring its fair price. The approval came at a meeting Monday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, PM's spokesperson Abul Kalam Azad told reporters at the Secretariat after the meeting, report agencies. He added the salt policy, formulated after discussions with stakeholders, also aims at ensuring proper iodine ratio for human consumption. He said the aim of the salt policy is to reduce import and thus saving foreign currency. It is also aimed at creating employment through the development of the salt industry, ensuring fair price of salt for the producers and specification of areas for salt production. Mr. Azad said the meeting also expressed condolence for the casualties and devastation in Japan caused by Friday's record quake and tsunami. The Prime Minister briefed her cabinet colleagues about the meeting with the Japanese ambassador in Dhaka Sunday. All preparations for sending a rescue team to the tsunami-ravaged country have been completed, Hasina was quoted as telling the meeting by her press secretary. The cabinet also discussed the ways to bring back the sailors of MV Jahan Moni, who were freed Monday after 100 days in captivity by Somalian pirates, Mr. Azad said. Mr. Azad also briefed journalists about the prime minister's meeting with the head of Canada's Saskatchewan province, Brad Wall, earlier in the day. Hasina urged Brad to impart training to and import manpower from Bangladesh while discussing issues including climate change, commerce and education. She also told the visiting minister that the recently held local government polls had been free and fair.