Govt to make guideline for quick investment decisions

The government is going to prepare a priority-based guideline to take investment-related decisions promptly for encouraging domestic and foreign investors, officials said.
The move has been taken at a recent meeting with the principal secretary of Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in the chair, they also said.
The proposed guideline will be prepared by Board of Investment (BoI), Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), Public Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) and Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA).
It will be prepared for taking decisions on investment-related issues quickly for receiving more local and foreign investments in the country's different sectors, said a high official who attended the meeting.
Domestic and foreign investments in the country's economic zones and hi-tech park and through PPP initiative will be given priority in the guideline, he also said.
"We make delay in taking decisions on different investment proposals. As a result, the country has not been receiving expected investment from domestic and foreign sources. The guideline will be prepared to take swift decisions," he added.
When contacted, BEZA executive chairman Paban Chowdhury said: "We will submit a proposal to PMO within this week."
Many government agencies are, at present, working for promotion of investment in the country. The guideline will be created to give importance to investment-related issues and take decisions on these issues rapidly.
A committee, headed a BoI member, has been constituted in this connection, he mentioned.
BHTPA managing director Hosne Ara Begum told the FE: "We are taking various initiatives for attracting investments to the hi-tech park. We will prepare a roadmap or guideline and also organize road-shows, workshops and seminars for it."
Bangladesh Bank data shows that FDI inflow stood at $795 million in July-December period of 2015 and $1096 million in January-June period.
Thus, net FDI inflow stood at $1.89 billion in 2015, which was $1.53 billion in 2014.
After a 4.2 per cent decline in 2014, FDI inflow returned to a positive trend in 2015 by registering 23.5 per cent growth.
    [email protected]