Trade-related issues to be executed by this year: Faruk
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Admitting slow implementation of trade-related issues under joint communiqué signed by India and Bangladesh, Commerce Minister Faruk Khan Wednesday said that all related issues would be implemented by this year to speed up trade between the countries, reports UNB.
"Both countries' political governments gave their political decision on removing trade barriers but the implementation process has apparently become slow for which bureaucrats are responsible," he said while addressing as chief guest a seminar held at CIRDAP auditorium this afternoon.
Faruk Khan said almost all tariff and non-tariff barriers in the bilateral trade would be removed within this year as both India and Bangladesh have already identified those.
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) organized the seminar titled "India, Bangladesh and the North East: Transit and Transshipment-Strategies Considerations" presided over by its Director General Dr M Asaduzzaman.
President of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) Farooq Sobhan, Prof of Dhaka University International Relations Department Dr Imtiaz Ahmed, senior research fellow of BIDS Dr Muhammad Yunus among others addressed it. BIDS Research Director KAS Murshid presented the keynote paper in the seminar.
Minister Khan said the governments and officials of both countries should understand that seven months have already passed and people might lose patience due to slow progress which impedes trade.
He, however, said the government has already taken a number of steps including modernization of BSTI and introduction of border bazars in this regard. "Border bazars will be introduced within next two months," he said.
Addressing the seminar, Farooq Sobhan said path-breaking development has taken place in terms of Indo-Bangla relations and now both Bangladesh and India need to do the necessary groundwork to demonstrate results quickly.
Emphasising connectivity, he said enormous benefits are waiting for Bangladesh and to avail it, certain actions should be taken on short, mid and long term basis.
"Both countries' political governments gave their political decision on removing trade barriers but the implementation process has apparently become slow for which bureaucrats are responsible," he said while addressing as chief guest a seminar held at CIRDAP auditorium this afternoon.
Faruk Khan said almost all tariff and non-tariff barriers in the bilateral trade would be removed within this year as both India and Bangladesh have already identified those.
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) organized the seminar titled "India, Bangladesh and the North East: Transit and Transshipment-Strategies Considerations" presided over by its Director General Dr M Asaduzzaman.
President of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) Farooq Sobhan, Prof of Dhaka University International Relations Department Dr Imtiaz Ahmed, senior research fellow of BIDS Dr Muhammad Yunus among others addressed it. BIDS Research Director KAS Murshid presented the keynote paper in the seminar.
Minister Khan said the governments and officials of both countries should understand that seven months have already passed and people might lose patience due to slow progress which impedes trade.
He, however, said the government has already taken a number of steps including modernization of BSTI and introduction of border bazars in this regard. "Border bazars will be introduced within next two months," he said.
Addressing the seminar, Farooq Sobhan said path-breaking development has taken place in terms of Indo-Bangla relations and now both Bangladesh and India need to do the necessary groundwork to demonstrate results quickly.
Emphasising connectivity, he said enormous benefits are waiting for Bangladesh and to avail it, certain actions should be taken on short, mid and long term basis.