Dutch envoy offers support to shipbuilders
Our Correspondent | Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Our Correspondent
CHITTAGONG, April 5: Dutch ambassador in Dhaka Alphons Hennewens said local shipbuilders should harness knowledge and expertise from the Netherlands to gain efficiency and enhance competitiveness as shipbuilding has emerged as the fastest growing export sector. He said that currently Bangladesh has to import 60 per cent of the components needed to build vessels to meet the local demand and 90 per cent of the components needed for ships for the international market. Dutch companies are always eager to identify new business opportunities abroad, especially in the ship building sector, which is strongly export focused. Entrepreneurial spirit can also be found in the Dutch business people present here today and they are eager to share their knowledge and expertise and identify business opportunities in Bangladesh, he said. He was addressing at a seminar jointly organised by Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Embassy of the Royal Netherlands, supported by Holland Marine Equipments at the CCCI auditorium Monday afternoon. CCCI president Murshed Murad Ibrahim told the Dutch Ambassador and members of the Dutch business delegation that the Bangladesh shipbuilding industry is growing so fast in the recent time that it has gained ability to draw foreign investment in shipbuilding. Head of Dutch business delegation Mr Harry Pronk of Holland Marine Equipment, representatives of Bangladesh shipbuilding sector and from Ships Equipment Centre Groningen BU, Siemens Netherlands NU Bruinhof Marine, Van Beest BU and Dagin Marine Technology joined in the seminar. In his welcome address CCCI president MM Ibrahim said that many steps have been taken by the government to recover its past glory as a shipbuilding nation. "We have skilled and low wage workers, import duty on raw material and machineries has been reduced, banks are providing loans at single digit interest rate, pro-industry government plan, tax release, government subsidy and finally government's initiative to set up separate ship building zones," he said. On the other hand, the Dutch Ambassador said that "Bangladesh economy has the obvious potential to re-join the ranks of globally important shipbuilding countries like Japan and South Korea".
CHITTAGONG, April 5: Dutch ambassador in Dhaka Alphons Hennewens said local shipbuilders should harness knowledge and expertise from the Netherlands to gain efficiency and enhance competitiveness as shipbuilding has emerged as the fastest growing export sector. He said that currently Bangladesh has to import 60 per cent of the components needed to build vessels to meet the local demand and 90 per cent of the components needed for ships for the international market. Dutch companies are always eager to identify new business opportunities abroad, especially in the ship building sector, which is strongly export focused. Entrepreneurial spirit can also be found in the Dutch business people present here today and they are eager to share their knowledge and expertise and identify business opportunities in Bangladesh, he said. He was addressing at a seminar jointly organised by Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Embassy of the Royal Netherlands, supported by Holland Marine Equipments at the CCCI auditorium Monday afternoon. CCCI president Murshed Murad Ibrahim told the Dutch Ambassador and members of the Dutch business delegation that the Bangladesh shipbuilding industry is growing so fast in the recent time that it has gained ability to draw foreign investment in shipbuilding. Head of Dutch business delegation Mr Harry Pronk of Holland Marine Equipment, representatives of Bangladesh shipbuilding sector and from Ships Equipment Centre Groningen BU, Siemens Netherlands NU Bruinhof Marine, Van Beest BU and Dagin Marine Technology joined in the seminar. In his welcome address CCCI president MM Ibrahim said that many steps have been taken by the government to recover its past glory as a shipbuilding nation. "We have skilled and low wage workers, import duty on raw material and machineries has been reduced, banks are providing loans at single digit interest rate, pro-industry government plan, tax release, government subsidy and finally government's initiative to set up separate ship building zones," he said. On the other hand, the Dutch Ambassador said that "Bangladesh economy has the obvious potential to re-join the ranks of globally important shipbuilding countries like Japan and South Korea".