Take steps now for BD\\\'s access to GSP Plus as MIC

New European Union (EU) Ambassador to Bangladesh Mayaudon Pierre has called for taking immediate initiatives to ensure the country's access to GSP Plus regime as a middle-income country (MIC) after 2021.
He said Bangladesh will lose the existing privileges of duty-free and quota-free market access to the EU market as a least developed country (LDC) after its graduation to MIC by 2021, as envisioned.
Mr Mayaudon shared his views at a press conference at a city hotel on Wednesday after officially assuming his office as the Head of EU Delegation for three years.
The career diplomat presented credential to President Abdul Hamid this week after his tenure as the deputy head of EU delegation in Pakistan.
The EU envoy expressed optimistic views about Bangladesh's achieving success as a MIC for its robust and steady economic growth prospects by 2021.
But as a MIC, Bangladesh will not be eligible to get the EU's GSP Plus, until and unless it complies with a combination of stringent conditions, he also said.
"Considering 2021 is not that far away, necessary work in this regard should start now," he told the journalists.
GSP Plus is an incentive for the countries that have signed and ratified as well as are properly implementing 27 international core conventions in the areas of human rights, labour rights, environment and governance.
Replying to a question, the EU head of delegation said under GSP Bangladesh enjoys cent per cent duty-free and quota-free market access. It will be 90 per cent under GSP Plus, and textile will be among many other sectors enjoying the facility.
He also expressed confidence about increase in trade volume in favour of Bangladesh from the existing € 12.5 billion.
Mr Mayaudon, however, called for diligent interventions in areas like skill development, energy, infrastructure and connectivity.
He also offered the EU's partnership to work on urgent basis on various issues, including climate change, on bilateral and regional basis.
He informed that the EU's bilateral aid to Bangladesh will be increased to 70 per cent in the areas of education and skill development, nutrition and food security, and democratic governance for adopting the new 7-year development cooperation programme, named Multi-annual Indicative Programme (MIP) 2014-2020.
The ambassador also said eight of the EU countries, including Switzerland and Norway, will be close partners from the European side in implementing the programme, while India, China, South Korea and Japan will be strategic partners.
He said the Bangladesh-EU joint commission will meet next year to address a broad range of issues of common interest.
The EU will increase budget support component of cooperation for increasing more interaction with the government to achieve high quality education as well as a better performing and transparent public financial management, he opined.
Besides, during the next three years, the EU will also work with the NGOs and the private sector to ensure sustainable development of the country.
"We will be working with them, not only in the RMG sector, the main driver of economy, but also in the emerging sectors, such as - ship-building, IT and pharmaceutical."
Regarding the Lisbon Treaty, signed in 2009 that has enlarged the range of the EU associations, the EU envoy said it has broadened the scope of bilateral relationship between the countries in an unprecedented manner.
smunima@yahoo.com