Labour welfare to be added to rules for CIP selection

The Ministry of Industries (MoI) has taken an initiative to update the existing rules on CIP (Commercially Important Person) by including labour welfare-related issues as a major criterion.
The draft of the CIP (Industry) Rules 2014 has already been formulated for finalisation soon, a top MoI official said.
Additional Secretary to the MoI Md Farhad Uddin told the FE that they have added the labour welfare-related issues to the CIP selection rules as it is very important to treat a business organisation as fully compliant.  
"Ensuring labour rights and welfare is a key demand of all sections of the society. The international community is also very vocal about the issue. Considering this, the ministry has decided to include the issue in the CIP nomination rules," he said.
Mr Farhad, president of the CIP selection committee 2014, said before formulating the rules, they talked with members of the business communities and labour leaders.
"We discussed with all and every one emphasised on adding the criterion to the CIP selection rules," he said.
The additional secretary said the rules will be finalised soon and CIPs will be selected for 2014 based on the new rules.
The MoI usually nominates more than 50 business personalities as CIPs every year under seven categories -- ex-officio, large-scale industry, medium industry, small industry, micro industry, cottage industry and service industry.
"Though the main purpose of the award is to honour industrialists for their contribution to economic development of the country, we also want to ensure the labour welfare issue," Mr Farhad said.
In the procedures, according to the CIP selection rules 2012, the MoI usually evaluates a business organisation on the basis of 10 criteria-actual production, total investment, total profit, tax payment, manpower, welfare activities, use of local raw materials, local and international standard, environment protection and waste management, research and development, and innovation (small and cottage industry).     
However, in the proposed rules, a new standard will be added and it is labour welfare, said the additional secretary.
The CIPs enjoy a number of facilities for one year.
Some of the facilities include permission to enter the Bangladesh Secretariat, participation in different national programmes and priority in booking tickets for air, railway and waterways for business purposes.
The Foreign Ministry will also help the CIP cardholders get visas by issuing letters of introduction to the concerned embassies.
The CIPs will also have access to the VVIP lounges in the airports and their families will get priority in booking cabins at government hospitals for treatment.
Last year, a total of 54 businesspersons were selected as CIPs. Among them, 11 were selected in the ex-officio category, 21 in large-scale industries, 10 in medium industries, five in small industries, one each in micro and cottage industries, and five in service industries.
Usually, the MoI invites applications for the CIP status from mid-July to mid-August every year and prepare a primary list by mid-October. By December 15, the Cabinet Division finalises the CIP list and by December 31, the MoI publishes a gazette notification containing the final list, MoI sources said.