Participation in overseas trade fairs
Friday, 20 November 2009
Mujibul Haque
Bangladesh needs to take a well-defined strategy to participate in international trade fairs to promote exports. As it is, due to participation in a limited number of trade fairs abroad, the products of Bangladesh are not known to the buyers across the world.
The relevant ministries need to pool together their resources and work under a neatly drawn plan to participate in more international trade fairs. But it must try to maximise the returns.
Bangladesh's participation in international trade fairs is usually exploited by inefficient officials as opportunities to spend time abroad at government expenses. They spend more time in shopping than in promoting the country's trade. Officials, according to reports, often do not even care to remain present in the Bangladeshi pavilions. Therefore, the government needs to maximise the returns and stop the misuse of resources in the name of participation in trade fairs.
Bangladesh should also hold better planned single country trade fairs abroad. But the whole exercise must be realistic and cost efficient.
Bangladesh embassies abroad should be closely involved with the participation in the international trade fairs and in the holding of single country trade fairs. The embassy personnel should be oriented or trained to be supportive in all such exercises. Showcasing Bangladesh products abroad calls for dynamism on the part of officials going from Dhaka as well those in the embassies abroad.
Bangladesh needs to take a well-defined strategy to participate in international trade fairs to promote exports. As it is, due to participation in a limited number of trade fairs abroad, the products of Bangladesh are not known to the buyers across the world.
The relevant ministries need to pool together their resources and work under a neatly drawn plan to participate in more international trade fairs. But it must try to maximise the returns.
Bangladesh's participation in international trade fairs is usually exploited by inefficient officials as opportunities to spend time abroad at government expenses. They spend more time in shopping than in promoting the country's trade. Officials, according to reports, often do not even care to remain present in the Bangladeshi pavilions. Therefore, the government needs to maximise the returns and stop the misuse of resources in the name of participation in trade fairs.
Bangladesh should also hold better planned single country trade fairs abroad. But the whole exercise must be realistic and cost efficient.
Bangladesh embassies abroad should be closely involved with the participation in the international trade fairs and in the holding of single country trade fairs. The embassy personnel should be oriented or trained to be supportive in all such exercises. Showcasing Bangladesh products abroad calls for dynamism on the part of officials going from Dhaka as well those in the embassies abroad.