Mentioning Bangladesh has achieved noteworthy development in electricity production, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu urged Tuesday industrialists to establish alternative energy-based factories instead of natural gas-dependent ones, reports UNB.
He was speaking at a seminar on 'Challenges and Opportunities of Bangladesh to Become Middle Income Country through Industrialisation' arranged by Bangladesh Chamber of Industry (BCI) at its office in the capital's Motijheel.
He said the Industries Ministry would welcome the entrepreneurs who were interested to invest in unused land of state-owned industrial areas, in this case the entrepreneurs can invest jointly with the government.
The government was establishing new economic zones to become a middle-income country swiftly, he said.
Expressing displeasure, BCI president A K Azad said the government failed to supply promised gas and electricity to the industries creating a big obstacle to fresh investment.
The government announced to establish 100 economic zones throughout the country but there was no specific statement about when and where the zones would be set up, he said.
He also said private sector entrepreneurs would be able to make the abandoned state-owned industries profitable within six to twelve months, if the government allocates these industries to them.
The BCI leaders said that the entrepreneurs had to take approval from 17 government departments before setting up an industry, though they need no approval from the Industries Ministry.
All the powers to provide approvals before establishing an industry should be handed over to the Industries Ministry, they added.
The BCI leaders also demanded a specific roadmap from the government for gas and electricity connection.
Former adviser to caretaker government Dr M Tamim presented the keynote at the seminar.
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