One-stop service for zones’ investors looks uncertain

The economic zones' regulator has failed to offer its one-stop service even after more than three years since a demand was raised to bring the required provisions under one umbrella for the investors.
In its second board meeting held in February 2015, the BEZA first raised the issue after a prolonged demand from local and foreign investors.
As a follow-up, the BEZA proposed enacting a special law only for economic zones (EZs) namely 'Bangladesh Economic Zones (One Stop Service) Act-2016.'
In the meantime, the government enacted one-stop service law a few months back, allowing the investment promoting agencies to provide such services.
Initially, the BEZA planned to offer 31 services through the online portal built into its official website for the investors.
But the portal is not active and only a message appears there instead. The message reads: "Sorry for the inconvenience! We are currently working to introduce automated one-stop service system as early as possible."
The lack of such business-friendly provisions put the country at the bottom of the World Bank's flagship "Ease of Doing Business" index. This year, Bangladesh ranked 177th out of 190 nations in the index.
The BEZA now plans to offer some 70 services under one platform to facilitate local and foreign investors.
People familiar with the matter at the BEZA said the agency wanted to provide world's "best" one-stop service to the investors.
"We're now providing nine services under one roof and working on providing the best services," said BEZA executive chairman Paban Chowdhury.
The services include project registration, project clearance, import permit, export permit, local sales permit, local purchase permit, visa recommendation, work permit and visa assistance.
But the agency has been working on a full-fledged one stop-service with the help of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), BEZA officials said.
"We hope to start providing the services soon," Mr. Chowdhury, a secretary of the government, said.
State-run Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) says it is also working towards putting in place one-stop service.
Such services are unlikely to happen before June next, officials said.
According to the new law, around 15 government agencies will provide relevant services to investors from one-point to save time and reduce complications.
The organisations include: Home Ministry, Power Division, National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh Bank, Office of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms, gas providers, Department of Public Works, Department of Environment, Export Promotion Bureau, water and sewerage authorities, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Office of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports, Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority and BIDA, trade bodies and local government offices.
The organisations will provide services like project clearance, work permit, visa recommendation, import and export permits, building plan approval, wiring and plumbing plan approval, clearance for foreign loan, local sale and purchase services, utility connection approval, TIN (tax identification number) registration, VAT (value added tax) registration, fire clearance and boiler registration to the investors.
As Bangladesh lags behind in the ease of doing business index, there is no alternative to improving business climate and for this the one-stop services are seen as important.
Dr Khurshid Alam, operations director at the think-tank Policy Research Institute (PRI), said investors would not set up their production base without smooth and effective functioning of one stop services.
"If the investors are required to move from one door to another to get things done, it will not be viable for them. So, there is no alternative to (one stop services) and the investment agency must ensure that," he added.
DCCI president Abul Kasem Khan said that the successful operations of economic zones largely depend on how fast the required services are ensured by the authorities to the investors because it helps reduce the cost of doing business.
"The investors don't want to spend too much time on availing themselves of necessary services. They want to give more attention to production. For that, faster service like one-stop service is very vital," he said.
Suggesting the provision of a focal point to oversee the service delivery under the BEZA, he said the BEZA chairman should monitor the facility on a regular basis to check any delay in the delivery system.
"I don't know how many services, Japan is providing to their investors, but one thing I can say that we need much more improvement in the system," the DCCI president said.

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