Thrust on reforms in tea sector, seed, cold storages, solar pico PV mkt expansion

The seventh Private Sector Development Policy Coordination Committee (PSDPCC) meeting discussed the need for reforms in tea sector, seed, cold storages  and Solar Pico PV market expansion.
The meeting was held recently at Prime Minister's Office chaired by Principal Secretary Md. Abul Kalam Azad where Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD) placed four reform policy papers which includes reform of financial policy of tea industry for attaining competitiveness, inclusion of seed as a thrust sector in the coming Industrial Policy, expansion of Solar Pico PV market and production of solar energy and reshaping the policy of cold storage.
 Among the proposals, the recommendations for reduced tax rates for Pico PV solar lantern, extension ERQ for pharmaceuticals were endorsed by the Committee.
BUILD Chairman Asif Ibrahim extolled PMO for simplifying all the policy issues and requested the Principal Secretary to set a specific timeline for implementing each proposal set out by BUILD and presented by CEO Ferdaus Ara Begum at the meeting. He sought support from PMO for organising a Regional Policy Conference in the middle of June of this year, said a press release.
Among others, Hedayat Ullah Al Mamun, Sr. Secretary, Ministry of Commerce; Md Shafiqul Azam, Secretary, Ministry of Planning, Selina Afroz, Phd, Secretary, MOFL, Mr. Kamaluddin Ahmed, Secretary In-Charge, MOEF, Syed Mutlubur Rahman, Additional Secretary, MOF, Md Jahangir Alam, Additional Secretary, Roads & Highways, Susen C Das, Additional Secretary, MOI, Md Harunur Rashid, Additional Secretary, ICT Division, Dilip Kumar Das, Additional Secretary, BOI, Nabash C Mandol, Executive Member, BOI, Major General Azmol Kabir, Chairman, BTB were present. Representatives from  BEZA, NBR, Bangladesh, Bangladesh Bank, BSTI, Public Private Partnership (PPP) office,  Bridge Dept.,  DE, SME Foundation, FBCCI, Tea Association, Seed Association, CCCI,MCCI,DCCI, BIAA, BCSA, Bangladesh Seed Association and  also attended the meeting.
BUILD is mainly envisaged as the bridge that connects the public and private sector for better communication, coordination and collaboration in bringing reforms in business policies and procedures to improve the country's investment climate in Bangladesh and recognized as the primary source of information and a strategic partner of the PSDPCC established at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and working since 2011.