Exploratory mission to visit eight African nations next month
Friday, 23 July 2010
Nazmul Ahsan
An official mission, headed by foreign secretary Mijarul Kayes, is scheduled to visit eight African countries early next month to explore the marketing prospects of Bangladesh goods and manpower, particularly professionals.
High officials of ministries of foreign, commerce, labor and employment are likely to be included in the mission, according to reliable sources.
The countries to be visited by the mission are-Congo, Ivory Cost, Ghana, Botswana, Zambia, Lesotho, Mauritius and Angola.
''We want to look beyond the traditional export markets in Europe and the USA to diversify our export destinations," a top diplomat in the MoFA said.
"Our jute and jute products along with consumer goods could easily be exported to African region as the quality of our products is high and the prices are cheaper than that of many countries," he added.
Diplomats said the countries like Mauritius, Angola and Ghana have demand for doctors, engineers and nurses.
The scheduled visit will begin from August 8. The exploratory mission will visit Congo, Ivory Cost and Ghana between August 8 and August 14, an official said.
The next phase of the visit will start from August 22 to August 28. The same mission will visit Botswana, Zambia, Lesotho, Mauritius and Angola during the second and last phase of their tour, he added.
According to official statistics, Bangladesh exports less than $6.0 million to eight African countries per year. Bangladesh does not have commercial wings in their missions in those countries. Besides, no fair to display Bangladesh goods has so far been organized there.
Bangladesh's export earning during the just concluded fiscal year has recorded only four per cent growth over that of the previous fiscal year. The growth in earning from RMG exports was only 1.0 per cent.
However, the earning from jute and jute goods exports recorded a 76 per cent growth to $736 million in 2009-2010 fiscal over that of the previous fiscal.
"We have no option other than exploring new export markets in both African and East Asian countries to enhance the export earnings and withstand any possible economic shock," a top trade official in the Ministry of Commerce said.
"The scheduled visit of the high-powered mission will yield positive results in terms of exporting goods and professionals", he said.
An official mission, headed by foreign secretary Mijarul Kayes, is scheduled to visit eight African countries early next month to explore the marketing prospects of Bangladesh goods and manpower, particularly professionals.
High officials of ministries of foreign, commerce, labor and employment are likely to be included in the mission, according to reliable sources.
The countries to be visited by the mission are-Congo, Ivory Cost, Ghana, Botswana, Zambia, Lesotho, Mauritius and Angola.
''We want to look beyond the traditional export markets in Europe and the USA to diversify our export destinations," a top diplomat in the MoFA said.
"Our jute and jute products along with consumer goods could easily be exported to African region as the quality of our products is high and the prices are cheaper than that of many countries," he added.
Diplomats said the countries like Mauritius, Angola and Ghana have demand for doctors, engineers and nurses.
The scheduled visit will begin from August 8. The exploratory mission will visit Congo, Ivory Cost and Ghana between August 8 and August 14, an official said.
The next phase of the visit will start from August 22 to August 28. The same mission will visit Botswana, Zambia, Lesotho, Mauritius and Angola during the second and last phase of their tour, he added.
According to official statistics, Bangladesh exports less than $6.0 million to eight African countries per year. Bangladesh does not have commercial wings in their missions in those countries. Besides, no fair to display Bangladesh goods has so far been organized there.
Bangladesh's export earning during the just concluded fiscal year has recorded only four per cent growth over that of the previous fiscal year. The growth in earning from RMG exports was only 1.0 per cent.
However, the earning from jute and jute goods exports recorded a 76 per cent growth to $736 million in 2009-2010 fiscal over that of the previous fiscal.
"We have no option other than exploring new export markets in both African and East Asian countries to enhance the export earnings and withstand any possible economic shock," a top trade official in the Ministry of Commerce said.
"The scheduled visit of the high-powered mission will yield positive results in terms of exporting goods and professionals", he said.