http://www.newagebd.com/2009/feb/04/busi.html#5
Seoul offers duty-free access to 34 more products
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Dhaka
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday said 34 new products would have duty-free market access to South Korea, in addition to other Bangladeshi exports now enjoying duty-free access, under a recent duty rescheduling arrangement.
The state minister told reporters after South Korean ambassador Sun Bum Park called on him at his office that the new duty-free regime had been put into effect from January 1.
Under the new arrangement, garments, ceramic wares, jute products and such other new exports to South Korea would enjoy duty-free market access. He said South Korea is offering duty- free access to 75 per cent of Bangladesh exports until now.
The new arrangement would further bring benefits to the country’s exports, he said adding the South Korean offer came at a time when the newly elected government took office.
He said the South Korean ambassador exchanged views with him on bilateral issues and sought the help of the government in arranging gas supply to Korean Export Processing Zone in Chittagong.
Once the Korean EPZ is put in operation, investment here by South Korean entrepreneurs would increase manifold to add to the country’s image abroad, he said.
Mahmud said South Korea had taken 1,500 workers last year and is expected to take 5,000 this year. He requested the ambassador to recruit more workers from Bangladesh.
He said the government was looking for new ways of sending more workers to global labour market. He stressed the need for coordinated steps by all agencies relating to manpower export to achieve better results.
