SME to get enhanced focus in industrial policy: Barua

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/feb/08/busi.html#3

SME to get enhanced focus in industrial policy: Barua
Staff Correspondent

Industries minister Dilip Barua on Saturday said the government was mulling over formulation of a coordinated industrial policy aimed at keeping the wheels of economy running.

‘We want to focus more on our SME sector in the proposed industrial policy for facing [the impacts of] the ongoing global recession,’ the minister told the inaugural session of a consultation meeting with experts on the ‘Role of ICT for SME Development in Bangladesh’ organised by the SME Foundation in a city hotel.

The minister said the SME sector could eventually turn into a big one.

The SME Foundation is devoted to promoting small and medium enterprises across the country to create employment and accelerate the pace of industrialisation.

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Jafar Osman, Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh president SM Nazrul Islam, and SME Foundation member Mirza Nurul Gani also spoke at the session, where M Kaikobad, a professor at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology presented the keynote.

The industries minister said many of the Asian nations, like Japan, South Korea, China and Malaysia, achieved tremendous success by developing the SME sector.

‘The SMEs could play a vital role in changing our destiny, as in Japan, if we can ensure political stability, an efficient labour force, and courageous investors,’ said Barua, chief of the Samyabadi Dal, a partner in the Awami League-led Grand Alliance government.

The government has initiated a move to prepare a new industrial policy, incorporating the required steps for ensuring all the three factors, he told the audience.

In this context, he observed that inadequacy of wealth is no problem for national development; the main problem is mindset, which has to be changed to cope with the situation.

He also added that building a digital Bangladesh is a firm commitment of the present government, not a mere lip service.

Steps on to build Digital Bangladesh Minister says

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Steps on to build Digital Bangladesh Minister says
Bss, Dhaka

Industries Minister Dilip Barua said yesterday the government has stepped up efforts to build an industrialised, digital Bangladesh by 2021 to fulfill its commitment.

“A stable political atmosphere as well as political unity is essential for the industrialisation of the country,” the minister said while addressing a workshop on “Role of Information Technology for Expansion of Small and Medium Enterprises in Bangladesh”, organised by SME Foundation in Dhaka.

The minister said the financial allocation would be increased in the next budget for the development of the SME sector, expansion of technical education and other training facilities for producing a desired manpower.

Barua said the government has attached priority to the expansion of the SME sector to build a strong economy, which would pave the way for heavy industry in Bangladesh.

Barua said time has come to work together to find out the ways of how Bangladesh can cope with the global economic meltdown by ensuring an optimum use of information technology.

The government is set to make a “time-befitting” industrial policy to face the challenges of globalisation.

RMG exporters upbeat on target

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RMG exporters upbeat on target
Refayet Ullah Mirdha

Top readymade garment (RMG) makers are optimistic about meeting the export target in the current fiscal year although exports of some other products from Bangladesh declined in July-December period.

Woven garment surpassed the export target by 2.45 percent, knitwear 2.16 percent, terry towel 10.96 percent and textile fabrics by 8.16 percent during the same period of the current fiscal year, according to data of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

Bangladesh exported woven garment worth $2.805 billion against the target of $2.738 billion, knitwear $3.240 billion against $3.172 billion, terry towel $66.39 million against $59.83 million and textile fabrics $41.63 million against the target of $38.49 million in July-December period.

But in case of others, particularly fashionable and fancy items, exports declined during the period.

In the six-month period exports of raw jute, handicrafts, jute goods, electronics, leather, frozen foods and ceramic products also declined to some extent due to the ongoing global recession, the EPB data said.

On the other hand, exports of the products like footwear, home textile, petroleum bi-products and computer services maintained a sustainable growth, but not above the target.

Shahadat Hossain Kiron, chairman of Dekko Group, said exports of RMG products maintained a surpassing trend, due to a shift of orders to Bangladesh from other countries like China.

“I think exports of RMG products will not face major setback from the global recession as orders are flowing in and Bangladesh mainly produces basic items,” Kiron said.

The export trend of RMG products shows that the target of exporting woven and knitwear worth $12.267 billion for fiscal year 2008-09 is quite achievable, he said.

Nazrul Islam Swapan, managing director of Nassa Group, said another reason for sustainable export growth even amid global financial meltdown is an increase in productivity.

“Many entrepreneurs are raising their production capacity setting up new machinery in their factories. So Bangladeshi RMG products are maintaining a good export growth,” Swapan said.

He said a good number of factories of the competing countries like China and Pakistan have already been shut down due to higher production cost, higher wages and ultimately caught by the global recession.

“The orders from those countries are coming to Bangladesh,” Swapan said.

Monjurul Hoque, MD of Minar Industries Ltd, one of the major knitwear exporting companies, said the knitting factories have already diversified their products and improved quality to attract more foreign buyers.

“I introduced at least seven new knitwear items over the last one year to remain competitive in the international market,” said Hoque.

He said RMG exports will increase manifold from March-April as many countries have lost buyers.

reefat@thedailystar.net

Islami Bank’s total deposit reaches at Tk 20,289 crore

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/02/08/news0736.htm

Islami Bank’s total deposit reaches at Tk 20,289 crore

NATION BUSINESS REPORT

The total deposit of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) reached at Tk 20,289 crore up to January of the current year, showing a growth rate of 22 per cent against the corresponding period of the last year.

The total investment has reached Tk 20,555 crore, showing a growth rate of 15 per cent against the corresponding period of the last year.

This was disclosed at the review meeting of the top executives of the head office and zonal heads of the bank at the IBBL boardroom in the city Thursday, said a press release.

IBBL board of directors Chairman Abu Nasser Muhammad Abduz Zaher was present in the meeting as the chief guest while its Executive Committee Chairman Mominul Islam Patwary attended the concluding session of the meeting as the special guest.

Chaired by IBBL Managing Director M Fariduddin Ahmad, the meeting was addressed, among others, by its deputy managing directors and top executives Mohd Shamsul Haque, Mohammad Abdul Mannan, Md Habibur Rahman and Md Setaur Rahman.

Mr Zaher said the IBBL has achieved more speed this year in deposit, investment and remittance collections in order to maintain the success of the bank.

As employees of a leading bank they should discharge their responsibility to the people of the country as part of duty, he said.

“We have to present Islami Bank to the people through its services in such a way that people can realise that Islami Bank is ‘My Bank’, ‘Our Bank’ and ‘Bank of the People”, he added.

He urged the employees of the bank to build Islami Bank as the number one bank in the world.

To gain this goal the employees have to grow inter-personal competition and work with the mentality of helping each other, the IBBL chairman said.

Mr Patwary urged all to build up relationship with new importers and exporters.

The IBBL managing director said Islami Bank is a Shariah compliant bank and said, complete compliance of Shariah in every investment and transaction is their commitment.

He urged the executives to work for reaching the service of Islami Bank to the doorsteps of the people of the country.

Bangladesh has great potential to boost export

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Bangladesh has great potential to boost export

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh has a great potential to boost the country’s export using benefit of cheap labour in the perspective of the present worldwide economic recession, as many workers are being terminated in the developed countries due to high cost of labour now, said Industry Minister Dilip Barua yesterday.

He said Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) based Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can create huge employment and enhance productivity of the country.

The Minister said change should be brought in our mind-set and thought adding that scarcity of the resource is not our main obstacle, rather our mind-set is key barrier on the way to development.

“If we bring change in our mind-set, we can win the poverty with limited resources,” the Minister said while he was addressing, as chief guest, expert consulting meeting on “Role of ICT for SME Development in Bangladesh” held at a city hotel yesterday.

SME Foundation organised the meeting chaired by Mirza Nurul Gani Shovan, Member, Board of Directors, SME Foundation.

Jafar Osman, President, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and Dr Engr SM Nazrul Islam, President, Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh spoke to the function as special guests.

Dilip Barua said economists and development experts had laid emphasis on balanced distribution of resource and planned industry for enhancing the country’s safetynet.

The Minister cited that they also stressed on curtailing import and increasing local production to meet the domestic demands.

Referring to UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-Moon’s speech, the Minister said ICT have a central role to play in the quest for development, dignity and peace.

Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) specialised training institute of small and medium enterprise and SME Foundation can play significant role in the ICT adoption in SME by taking different skill training programmes on ICTs, he viewed.

Dr M Kaykobad, professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) presented the keynote paper on ‘ICT for SME Development in Bangladesh.’

The keynote paper said ICTs can play vital role to enhance efficiency and productivity in every sphere including in SMEs in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is lagging behind and is skeptical about adopting the ICT even though it promises increase of productivity.

The keynote paper focused potential areas in which ICT can be effective for development of SME. This includes office automation, e-commerce, and application of ICT tools in solving production line problem more efficiently.

Among the key barriers on the adoption way of the ICT for our SMEs are poor communication infrastructure results in limited access and higher costs, most advanced ICT products are designed for large firms and not for SMEs, Limited ICT literacy of SME owners and employees, scarcity of financing and lack of financial and legal infrastructure, the paper said.

DITF concludes: Manufacturers receive Tk 21cr export order

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DITF concludes: Manufacturers receive Tk 21cr export order

UNB, Dhaka

Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) 2009 concluded yesterday with the country’s manufacturers receiving export orders worth about Tk 21 crore.

“This is (spot orders) not huge, but it shows our local products have demand abroad,” Commerce Minister Lt Col (retd) Faruk Khan told the closing ceremony of the fair. He said the trade fair successfully ended drawing 30-37 lakh visitors enabling them an opportunity to compare the quality of local and foreign products.

Faruk announced that the foundation stone for setting up a permanent fair venue with necessary infrastructures would be laid within the next 3-4 months at the old airport. The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce has been arranging the fair for the last 14 years at Agargaon with temporary arrangements.

Referring to the fast growth of apparel export, Faruk hoped that Bangladesh would be on top of RMG exporters of the world in the next 3-4 years.

Earlier on January 1, President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed inaugurated the month-long fair, which was later extended for seven days. A total of 467 companies and firms, including 22 from 12 countries, took part in the fair. The participating countries include India, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, the USA, the UAE, Japan and Germany. Sri Lanka was the partner country of the DITF-2009. Commerce Secretary Feroz Ahmed said the government has initiated to diversify its export basket to keep up the country’s export growth.

President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Annisul Huq urged the government to formulate a plan to relocate industries from Dhaka to other places of the country as there has been an incredible industrial growth.

He said it is possible for the country to earn $25 billion a year through apparel export by developing the country’s infrastructures. “Now 12,000 trucks ply between Dhaka and Chittagong port which will have to be increased to 60,000, while the factories from 4,000 to 12,000 to achieve that target,” he told the function.

EPB Vice Chairman Shahab Ullah also spoke on the occasion.

BB set to form Tk 5b fund for shipbuilding

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/02/07/58215.html

BB set to form Tk 5b fund for shipbuilding

Stella Maris, built by Ananda Shipbuilding, Bangladesh. SOURCE: http://www.anandagroup.biz

FHM Humayan Kabir

The central bank is likely to form a Tk 5.0 billion fund for the country’s emerging shipbuilding industry in a bid to turn into a substantial export earning sector similar to ready-made garments, officials said Friday.

“The Bangladesh Bank (BB) has agreed in principle to create the fund. Within a short period the fund might be introduced through a circular,” a senior central bank official told the FE Friday.

Following a government order, a sub-committee led by the BB Deputy Governor Nazrul Huda is working to mobilise necessary support of the banking sector needed by the booming shipbuilding industry.

The central bank will create the Tk 5.0 billion fund under a “refinancing scheme”. The commercial banks will take money from the proposed “fund” and lend it to the shipbuilders, the BB official said.

“If the fund is created, one of our major problems will be solved,” shipbuilder Abdullahel Bari of Ananda shipbuilding said adding, “Funding is a major obstacle to expand our shipyard to secure more export orders.”

The country’s booming shipbuilding industry has so far bagged nearly US$800 million worth of export orders for making some 50 ocean-going vessels and cargoes. Three companies — Ananda, Western Marine and the Highspeed – have obtained those orders.

The Ananda Shipyard until last year 2008 have received orders for making 40 ships and ferries worth $450 million from different European and African countries.

“Creation of such a fund of the BB was imperative for the shipbuilders. Commercial banks are often reluctant to finance us as we are new in this business,” said Tofayel Kabir Khan, managing director of Khan Brothers Shipbuilding Ltd.

“I have knocked at the door of a dozen banks but failed to convince them for financing. I need nearly Tk 30 million to complete setting up of country’s biggest shipyard beside the river Meghna in Munshiganj,” he said.

If we get government support properly we will be able to fetch billions of dollars worth of export orders from the international shipping companies within a couple of years, Ananda’s chief Abdullahel Bari said.

We are trying to secure at least one per cent of the world’s $400 billion shipbuilding market within few years, as traditional shipbuilding nations such as South Korea, Japan, Singapore and China are now focussing on making large vessels, he said.

Seeing boom some other local companies are on the pipeline for setting up shipyards. Among those Karnaphuli Shipbuilding, Dhaka Shipyard, Bengal Electric, Desh Shipbuilding of Rangs Properties and state-owned Dockyard & Engineering Works Limited (DEWL) are mentionable.

Govt plans to float tenders online

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/feb/07/front.html#4

Govt plans to float tenders online
Staff Correspondent

The government is planning to float tenders online to make the public procurement system transparent, accountable and functional and keep it free from undue influence, officials said.

As part of the Public Procurement Reform Project-II, it has taken up a plan to introduce, in phases, e-government procurement (e-GP) to modernise the outdated procurement process and rid it of unjustified influence or physical obstruction.

The finance minister, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, has already iterated the government’s plan to go for government purchases online in accordance with its vision of a ‘digital Bangladesh’ by 2121.

According to a study of the World Bank carried out in 2002, the total value of the country’s public procurement amounts to more than $3.0 billion a year.

Both the volume and the value of such expenditures are expected to increase manifold in the coming years as the country is undertaking more development projects, said sources.

More than 80 per cent of the annual development expenditures are spent on government purchase of goods, works and services, according to official statistics.

With the financial assistance of the World Bank, the central procurement technical unit of the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division under the planning ministry has already started the primary work to launch the online tender process.

The unit’s director general Amulya Kumar Debnath told New Age on Thursday four government departments were the targeted agencies under the project. The e-GP will be introduced in 12 to 16 procuring entities under the four agencies on a pilot basis at first.

The four government departments are the Local Government Engineering Department, Roads and Highways Department, Bangladesh Water Development Board and Rural Electrification Board.

‘The single end-to-end e-GP solution is one of the four components of the project, and after the launch of the e-GP, all procurement-related information will be delivered via a comprehensive integrated platform and e-GP portal,’ he said. ‘All stakeholders can have equal access to information, opportunities and participation in the procurement processes in e-GP.’

The other components of the reforms programme include furthering policy reforms and institutionalising capacity development; strengthening procurement management at the sectorial level, and communication, behavioural change and social accountability.

As a part of capacity building and institutionalising the procurement system in compliance with the Public Procurement Act 2006 and the Public Procurement Rules 2008, four training courses, each spanning three weeks, have already been completed. About 108 such courses will be held for over 10 thousand officials, said Debnath.

A comprehensive social awareness campaign and communication programme on public procurement reforms, law and rules, and social accountability is also under way.

Debnath said the PPA and the PPR have paved the way for making the public procurement system accountable and transparent.

He said there should not be any misconception about the laws and rules concerned. They will not cause any delay or inconvenience in the process of procurement, rather they are safeguards for ensuring fair competition and purchase of quality goods and services with government funds.

‘All government procuring entities, the bidding community, suppliers, consultants and others concerned are expected to comply with the PPA and PPR,’ he noted.

‘As government purchases are made with public money, its proper and full utilisation as per the laws and rules will help us to accelerate the pace of the ADP by implementing the development projects in time,’ said Debnath, adding the CPTU is going to launch an integrated and comprehensive campaign to generate support of all those concerned in favour of the laws, rules and reforms in public procurement.

The abbreviation ‘PPR’ no longer stands for Public Procurement Regulations, which was replaced by the Public Procurement Rules 2008. The Public Procurement Regulations 2003 was declared void as soon as the Public Procurement Act 2006 was made a law. Under the law, rules have been framed and put into force since January 31, 2008.

Besides, the e-GP will also provide comprehensive management information and reporting system as prescribed in the PPR 2008.

Debnath said under the IT Act, the use of e-signature has been accepted.

Many countries’ experience of the e-GP shows these factors, when combined, can yield savings up to 15 per cent or even more, said an expert working at the CPTU.

More than 50 governments around the world are already using the e-GP in one way or another.

Footwear a bright spot in dim exports

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Footwear a bright spot in dim exports

Employees are busy at a footwear manufacturing plant. Bangladesh's leather shoemakers see an increase in their exports, as the country's major competitors are facing a demand dearth in global recession.Photo: STAR

Sayeda Akter

Local leather footwear manufacturers see a better prospect ahead, after an increase in exports by 39 percent in the July-November period of the current fiscal year, which pins a hope of overcoming losses from declining leather exports in the recent months.

During the period export earnings from locally made footwear stood at around $85 million, which is a rise from $61 million in the same period of the last fiscal year, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) statistics.

“The cost of production of quality leather shoes is lower in Bangladesh than in China and India, and this is the main reason for getting more orders from European countries that increases the demand of local shoes in the international market,” said Tipu Sultan, former chairman of Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters Association.

China, India and Vietnam were the largest leather shoe exporters in the world, but in recent years these countries are failing to make and sell quality low-cost leather shoes on WTO anti-dumping rules.

Sultan said now Bangladesh is getting more orders from Germany, Italy, France, Japan and Canada that earlier used to go to India and China.

“Another big reason behind this growth is that the technology we are using now is from Italy, which creates trust about the quality of the products among the buyers,” he added.

The growth came at the time when the country is struggling with its falling leather export, which is one of the biggest foreign exchange earners. Exports of finished leather and leather goods declined by around 18 percent in the July-November period of the current fiscal year.

The demand for fashionable and costly leather shoes is declining in international market on recession, bringing an opportunity for the country to make shoes that are ordinary but essential.

Sultan said Bangladesh mainly exports crushed and finished leathers, whose demand and sales dropped in international markets on the back of recession.

Crushed leather is the main raw material of the locally made footwear.

Sultan said manufacturers can produce diversified leather products to minimise the losses that might come from a fall in finished leather exports.

The country started exporting leather footwear in 1994 in a small scale to neighboring countries including India and Nepal that increased in recent years.

Currently the total market size of locally made leather footwear stands at around Tk 1,700 crore of which at least 45 percent is exported. The country exports around six million pairs of leather footwear per year.

Bangladesh mainly exports men’s footwear, ladies sandals and shoes and sport shoes to European countries, China, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Iraq, Jordan, India and Nepal.

Bata, the leading shoe company, exports the largest amount of locally produced leather shoes.

Ruhul Amin, merchandising manager of Bata, said they export shoes to Gulf countries and Nepal.

“We export footwear mainly to Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Iraq and Nepal,” he said.

“We mainly export men’s and ladies shoes and a small amount of children’s shoes,” he said, adding that the company exports around 5-7 lakh pairs of shoes per year.

He also said Bata is planning to make its export size bigger by the end of this year.

Apart from the branded shoes, the country also exports non-branded shoes.

Currently there are around 120 companies involved in exporting footwear mainly in small amounts.

ASM Hamidur Rahman Chowdhury, managing director of Titas Footwear Bangladesh, said they have been exporting fashionable leather sandals and slippers for women from 1998.

“We started exporting in a very small amount at that time, but gradually the demand increased among the clients of Japan, Canada and the Maldives,” he said.

The company received a big export order from Italy last month and set to deliver by July, he added.

However the main problems the industry faces are lack of skilled people and quality designs, said the industry insiders.

“The demand for leather jackets, furniture and shoes is still steady in international markets, but we have a few skilled people,” said Sultan.

He said the government should take initiatives to develop expertise and train people in the sector.

Sultan also urged the government to take steps to reduce the rising cost of leather processing, which makes Bangladeshi leather more expensive.

sayeda@thedailystar.net

Japan keen to invest in manufacturing

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Japan keen to invest in manufacturing
Star Business Report

Japan will invest in the manufacturing sector here as a good investment environment has been created through a fair and peaceful national election, Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Masayuki Inoue said yesterday.

“Japanese investors are interested in investing in Bangladesh, as there is a good environment here,” Inoue said after he met Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzak at his ministry.

Japan will also provide Bangladesh with $30 million to build food storages in northern districts to store food grains for use in times of natural disasters, says a press release.

The Japanese diplomat also assured Bangladesh of providing Tk 38.49 crore to build houses for the people affected by Cyclone Sidr. Japan had earlier donated Tk 101.69 crore for the same purpose.

During the meeting, Razzak sought Japanese assistance to increase agriculture production and research.

The ministry’s Additional Secretary AKM Abdul Awal Majumder, Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) representative Akemi Youshidi and Japanese Embassy First Secretary Nobuko Kayashmia were also present.

Commercial farming of strawberry starts in Rajshahi

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/feb/06/home.html#1

Commercial farming of strawberry starts in Rajshahi
Newly evolved variety finds way to posh markets
Shoumitra Mazumdar . Rajshahi

Commercial cultivation of strawberry has begun in Rajshahi with a new variety going on sale in posh markets in Dhaka.

Dr Manjur Hossain, a teacher of the Botany Department of Rajshahi University, evolved the variety which is suitable for cultivation in local climate.

He first started growing of the variety on his three bigha land this year.

The red juicy and nutritious fruit produced by him is now being supplied to posh markets in the capital Dhaka.

With farmer-level price of around Tk 300 per kg, the commercially potential fruit will have a bigger market locally and benefit farmers enormously, the pioneer said while talking to New Age recently.

The new variety of strawberry can be harvested within two and a half months of its plantation and a farmer can earn around Tk 4 lakh by farming it on one bigha of land with an expenditure of only Tk 20,000, he said.

Besides being taken as a fruit, it has a good use in preparing ice-cream, jam, jelly, pickle, chocolate, biscuit, cake or milkshake.

Dr Manjur had brought home saplings of eight varieties in 1996 while returning from Japan where he completed his PhD.

He evolved some new varieties through tissue culture at the Plant Breeding and Gene Engineering Laboratory under his department.

Dr Manjur carried out a field-level experiment at Akafuji Nursery at Bhadra in Rajshahi city.

In 2003, three varieties yielded encouraging results and were found suitable in local climate.

Out of the three, RU-3 and Modern-3 varieties were found very impressive in size, taste and flavour.

‘We found best results last year in hilly areas at Matiranga Army Zone where the 26 Cavalry Division produced quality strawberries from 200 saplings’, Dr Manjur said.

Strawberry cultivation is as easy as growing potatoes or aborigines. Saplings can be planted in rows in the period between November and December.

The plants start flowering within one month of plantation and fruits can be collected till March.

Each plant bears around 250 to 300 grams of fruit and some 6000 plants can be grown on one bigha of land, Dr Manjur said.

Now traders import strawberry from Thailand and Australia at Tk 900 to Tk 1200 per kg. Strawberry essence is also imported.

The country can earn huge foreign currencies from strawberry export if its commercial farming starts at national level, Dr Manjur hoped.

5,000 laptops sold a month

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5,000 laptops sold a month
Zoom Laptop Fair 2009 begins

Commerce Minister Faruk Khan, State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam and Citycell CEO Michael Seymour, among others, pose for photographs at the inaugural ceremony of Zoom Laptop Fair 2009 at Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital yesterday.Photo: STAR

Star Business Report

Currently around 5,000 laptops are sold every month in the country, while the current growth rate of laptop users is around 8 to 10 percent, said organisers of a laptop fair that began yesterday in the capital.

At the inaugural ceremony of the three-day show styled ‘Zoom

Laptop Fair 2009′, Commerce Minister Faruk Khan said IT (information technology) education will be made compulsory up to secondary level in all educational institutes of the country.

“We are going to make IT education compulsory up to secondary level, which will help turn the country into a digital Bangladesh,” said the commerce minister.

“To reach this vision we are creating awareness and making ICT products and services available,” he said, adding that the prices of IT products including desktop and laptop computers should be reduced further.

Maker Communication is organising the fair at Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre.

State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam said the court activities should be modernised by introducing usage of computer, which would help keep information correctly and reduce difficulties.

Mobile phone operator Citycell is the title sponsor of the exposition, while Acer, Asus, Hasee and Toshiba are co-sponsors.

Citycell CEO Michael Seymour said: “After a revolution in voice communication, we have extended our services by making internet available for people through our ‘Zoom’ wireless internet service.”

“We see a clear synergy in bringing Zoom together with laptops, because a simple laptop can now be converted into a portable powerhouse of information and communication by simply connecting it to the worldwide web,” he added.

Muhammad Khan, strategic planner of Maker Communication, said they are expecting sales of around 1,500 laptops at the fair, while 603 laptops were sold at the last year’s fair.

Students and young professionals are the main target groups of the show, he said.

There are a total of 10 pavilions and 6 stalls at the fair. The entry fee is Tk 20 per person but students up to the regular post-graduate level will enjoy free entry by showing their ID cards.

World famous laptop brands like HP, Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, Hasee, Gigabyte, Asus, Lenovo, Toshiba, Acer, Great Wall, BenQ and Apple are available at the fair, which will remain open from 10am to 9pm.

Participants said they are offering special discounts from Tk 5,000 to Tk 7,000 on their products at the show.

A part of the money generated from ticket sales will be donated, while the remaining will be used to develop a welfare fund for the ICT journalists of the country, said the organisers.

Mustafa Zabbar, president of Bangladesh Computer Samity, was also present at the inaugural ceremony.

New industrial policy to support SME, says Barua

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/feb/05/busi.html#5

New industrial policy to support SME, says Barua
United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka

The industries minister, Dilip Barua, while addressing the inaugural function of a Swiss-Bangladesh partnership project in the readymade garment sector at a hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday, said a new industrial policy is in the offing that would give priority to flourish small and medium enterprises across the country.

‘The government will provide necessary support to facilitate investments,’ he said calling upon the investors, especially expatriates, to tap the advantage of an investment-friendly environment prevailing in the country.

The steps already taken include increasing manpower and modernisation of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute to improve the quality of the local industrial products to the international standard, he said.

‘The government will provide all cooperation to protect the interest of the local industry,’ the minister said adding there is no alternative to industrialization to transform the country into a middle-income one.

In a separate meeting with Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry at his office, the minister said the government is taking realistic initiatives for industrialisation across the country.

Demand for Bangladeshi seafarers on rise in global market

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=113926

Demand for Bangladeshi seafarers on rise in global market
Bss, DHAKA

The demand for Bangladeshi seafarers is increasing significantly in the global market opening up a new horizon for earning foreign currency for the country.

The number of Bangladesh marine officers increased more than four times during the last 18 years in the sea-going vessels owned by different countries of the world.

According to a recent survey by an international organisation, the number of Bangladeshi-certified mariners on board of
different seagoing vessels became 4,822 in 2005 compared to 1,110 in 1990.

Although, the demand for seafarers increased further since 2005, and the country, however, could not utilize its optimum opportunity as the number of certified marine officers still remain short compared to the demand.

Bangladesh is a white-listed country of International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The country has also signed bilateral agreements with 18 countries of the world, who owned most of the sea-going vessels.

The agreement helps make Bangladeshi mariners qualified for maneuvering the ships under the flags of those countries. They are also fit to get professional certificates from the maritime organizations of those countries.

According to the survey, each of the Bangladeshi master mariners is now earning US$ 6,000 to US$ 7,000 as salary per month while officers and engineers are getting US$ 2,500 to US$ 5,000.

Meanwhile, the Department of Shipping has also undertaken initiatives to ensure proper grading of professional certificates for the Bangladeshi seafarers in European countries.

As part of its steps, a team of European Union Maritime Agency visited Bangladesh recently to see for themselves the infrastructure and quality of education and professional examinations in Bangladesh.

On their return, the team made a report on Bangladesh standard of maritime education and recommended strongly for accepting Bangladesh’s certificates to enable the seafarers to get jobs in sea-going vessels of those countries.

Talking to  the news agency, Director General of Shipping Captain AKM Safiullah said there is a vast scope for the Bangladeshi youths to take maritime profession as their career in view of its increasing global demand.

“We have already put our best efforts in paving the way for Bangladeshi seafarers to get jobs in different countries of the world, including the European Union. Our certified officers, now working at different positions on board the seagoing vessels have already proven their skill and efficiency,” he added.

Joint venture garments plant sets up with an investment of US $ 2.67 million in EPZ

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Joint venture garments plant sets up with an investment of US $ 2.67 million in EPZ

DHAKA, Bangladesh, Feb 4 (BSS) – M/s S and S Clothing Limited, a USA- Bangladesh Company, will set up a Garments Manufacturing plant in the Karnaphuli Export Processing Zone.

The joint venture company will invest US$ 2.666 million aimed at producing garments accessories in the plant, a press release said here today.

It will also create employment opportunities for 2,028 Bangladeshis and 2 foreigners, the release added.

An agreement to this effect was signed between the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority and the M/s S and S Clothing Limited in BEPZA Complex recently.

Parsanta Bhushan Barua, Member (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA and Daniel Surendranath Sinnaduray, the managing director of M/s S and S Clothing Limited, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.

Brigadier General Jamil Ahmed Khan, the Executive Chairman of BEPZA, and other officials from respective organizations were present on the occasion.