Dhaka, Bangkok look to boost investments in health services

Talha Bin Habib | Published: November 30, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

Bangladesh and Thailand will hold a joint-working group (JWG) meeting early next year in Dhaka to discuss bilateral trade, investment and connectivity, officials said.Â Â
The joint meeting being held after nearly a decade is also expected to review duty-free and quota-free (DFQF) market access and connectivity between the two countries, they said.
"We are taking preparations for the upcoming meeting. We hope it will start in February 2016," a joint secretary of the ministry of commerce (MoC) told the FE on Sunday.
He said that the two countries might finalise the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on standards between Bangladesh Accreditation Board (BAB) and the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) and trans-national crimes including money laundering and drug trafficking and employment of Bangladeshi workers in Thailand.
He said the two sides will also discuss the creation of a joint group on investment and health services.
Thailand recently made an announcement of duty and quota-free access of 6,998 products for poorer nations, including Bangladesh. Bangladesh will request Thailand to include 15 additional items in the list.
The official said that the country would propose Thailand for connectivity between Chittagong Port of Bangladesh and Ranong Port of Thailand and air-connectivity between Bangkok and Cox's Bazar to promote bilateral trade, investment and tourism, especially Buddhist Circuit Tourism.
Besides, the country will seek Thai cooperation for building special tourism zones in Bangladesh to help boost the sector.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed visited Thailand this month.
He held meeting with his Thai counterpart Apiradi Tantrapora in Bangkok. Mr Ahmed requested Thailand to consider allowing more fabourable tariff structure for Bangladeshi products in their market-part of boosting bilateral trade.
During the meeting, two sides agreed to hold the joint meeting early next year in Bangladesh.Â Â Â
The two ministers agreed to hold the fourth meeting of the Joint Trade Committee (JTC) in Dhaka next year, arrange trade fairs and exhibitions of goods and services in each other's capital to promote bilateral business and trade.
"We look forward to getting more trade concessions from Thailand," the commerce ministry official said.
Dhaka will host the first-ever single country trade fair and business summit in Bangkok in the first quarter of 2016, he added.
Bangladesh and Thailand signed the bilateral trade agreement on 22 August 1997. A memorandum was also signed to form a joint chamber of commerce to promote bilateral trade between the two countries.
Bangladesh exports textiles, animal products, electrical and electronic equipment to Thailand, while imports cereals, machinery and cotton and cotton fabric and other items.
Â Â Â talhabinhabib@yahoo.com