PM urges businesses to avail govt support

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged the business community to tap the opportunities provided by the government for promotion of their business and industries.
"We don't do businesses of our own, rather we promote businesses for ensuring further economic development," she said urging the business leaders to tap the growing domestic market as well as international one.
The Prime Minister said this when a delegation of the newly elected office bearers of the Federation of the Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) called on her at her office in the capital.
FBCCI president Abdul Matlub Ahmed led the delegation while other directors and business leaders were present. Briefing reporters after the meeting, PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said the prime minister lamented that the business community of Bangladesh has failed to avail many support provided by the government to exploit potential markets at home and abroad.
She said Bangladesh showed its excellence in the RMG sector. But the businesses should go for tapping the vast marine resources in the Bay of Bengal, especially for deep sea fishing as Bangladesh now has sovereignty on huge maritime areas.
She said apart from making stride to boosting exports the businessmen should go for tapping the growing domestic market as the size of domestic market is enlarging with enhancement of the purchasing capacity of the common people.
Sheikh Hasina said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had given emphasis on businesses both in public and private sector. Awami League government has always been a business-friendly government, she said.
The prime minister noted that the country's businessmen have been able to do businesses since the country got independence after a hard struggle under the dynamic leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. So they have to make efforts to fulfill the aspiration of Bangabandhu to build a hunger and poverty free Bangladesh, she said.
Referring to her government's steps for reducing the bank rate into a certain limit to flourish industrialization and businesses, the prime minister said her government would try to bring the rate into single digit.
She said many Muslim countries procure 'halal' meat from other countries. But Bangladeshi businesses have failed to exploit the potential market.
-SS