Regulatory reform experts off to South Korea on study tour

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/02/17/59097.html

Regulatory reform experts off to South Korea on study tour

A 23-member delegation of Administrative Barrier Review (ABR) Working Group led by Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) Vice President Tariq Karim left for South Korea Sunday on a weeklong study tour.

The purpose of the study tour is to share and enhance experiences with the South Korean public and private sector counterparts on issues related to standards and testing, certification of products, registration of designs and trade marks and VAT administration.

The Korean Development Institute (KDI) will be facilitating the workshops and meetings to be held during the study tour. The Working Group expect that this shared knowledge will contribute to the private sector development in Bangladesh, says a press release.

Earlier, the ABR Working Group visited several government offices and private sector organisations to gather practical knowledge on how those organisations are dealing with respective ABR issues in Bangladesh.

RRCG Programme Coordinator Hasan Imam and Investment Policy Analyst of IFC-BICF Miah Rahmat Ali will also accompany the delegation.

More manpower for BSTI soon

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=72529

More manpower for BSTI soon
Barua tells DCCI
Star Business Report

The government plans to strengthen the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) with additional manpower and modern equipment, said the industries minister yesterday.

“BSTI has been suffering from a severe crisis in manpower. We are trying to strengthen it to ensure the quality of our products,” Dilip Barua told a delegation from the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (DCCI) at his office.

He said the government has already approved the appointment of 113 new persons in BSTI on Tuesday, as part of the process.

The minister urged the manufacturers to be cautious against the production and campaign of contaminated and substandard products and strictly follow the quality guidance set by BSTI.

Barua said the government considers formulating a draft for a new industrial policy by April.

“We previously had an industrial policy that was never implemented properly and lacked industry-friendly directions,” he said.

“We are going to form a committee soon in this regard, which would emphasise attracting investment from both local, non-resident Bangladeshi and foreign entrepreneurs, create more employment and develop and patron the local industries,” he added.

Barua said the government also considers reviewing the bank’s high interest rate, seen as a major problem that hinders new entrepreneurship.

Zafar Osman, president of DCCI, said the government should review the present duty structure and take an initiative to reduce import duty on raw materials and ingredients for our local industries.

He said the government should take specific measures to patron and safeguard the small and medium enterprises, including the light engineering sector.

He stressed developing a special industrial zone for different sectors, such as RMG, pharmaceuticals and leather industry, and creating a database on the entire industrial sector.

He also emphasised organising training programmes for labourers in different factories that would eventually improve the present condition of the industrial sector.

MS Shekil Chowdhury, senior vice president, and Mohammad Sirajuddin Malik, vice president of the chamber, were also present at the meeting.

Regulatory reforms: Korean experience

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=72183

Regulatory reforms: Korean experience

Republic of Korea, once known to be one of the world’s poorest agro-based societies like us, has undertaken economic development in earnest since 1962.

In less than four decades, it achieved what has become known as the “Miracle on the Hangang (river)”- an incredible process that dramatically transformed the otherwise divided economy while marking a turning point in Korea’s history.

South Korea recently pulled through an economic storm that began in late 1997. This crisis, which roiled markets all across Asia, has threatened Korea’s remarkable economic achievements.

The Korean government’s strong resolve for reform and successful negotiation of foreign debt restructuring with creditor-banks led to resumption of economic growth.

With introduction of reforms, the number of regulations in South Korea fell from 10,554 in 1998 to 7,812 in 2003, to 5,112 in 2007.

The cost of establishing and operating business has fallen drastically due to fewer administrative regulations. Simplified regulations have decreased the time and number of tasks necessary to establish a business by 40 percent and reduced administrative costs tenfold.

It was stated by Dr Gil Hong-Geun, director general at Prime Minister’s Office of Korea, on January 7 this year to the Bangladesh Regulatory Reform Core Group that comprised of mid-level officials from different ministries, including Bangladesh Bank and Chamber representatives.

Strong support from the political circle, business and the public, well designed institutional setting and clear quantitative targets with whole of government approach are, among others, the success factors for the regulatory reforms in Korea, Gil pointed out.

The Bangladesh team visited Korea Regulatory Reform Office, Prime Minister’s Office, Anti-corruption and Civil Rights Commission, Korea Customs Service, Korea Post, Hanjin (Shipping Service), Seoul Transport Operation and Operation Service offices to see reform process there.

The Bangladesh team was informed that in the backdrop of 1997 financial crisis leading to severe recession in 1998 with output falling by 7 percent, Korea initiated the regulatory reforms. The country constituted the Regulatory Reforms Committee (RRC) through enactment of law.

The Korea RRC sets the general direction of the regulatory reform and coordinates the overall regulatory reform activities. It controls the duplications of regulations and inconsistencies of policies between ministries by reviewing all draft regulations.

In Korea, a ministry has to make request to the RRC for regulatory review of a proposal for regulation with the opinion of stakeholders, Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) and self-review results. Citizens and NGOs can submit their comments. RRC also invites stakeholders during the review process. Decisions made by RRC have been decisive (binding for all). After having cleared by RRC, the proposal is, then, subject to review by Cabinet Council and National Assembly, where necessary. RRC is not, however, involved in minor issues. Even RIA is not required for all cases.

The RRC makes public the bills it reviews, the review results and other regulatory process through the homepage. Also it is compulsory to make public a white paper on the status of regulatory reform every year. The current laws and policies of each ministry can be found at the Ministry of Government Legislation homepage (http://www.moleg.go.kr) or the respective ministry homepage. Also, each ministry has to register with RRC the name, details, legal basis and processing body regarding the regulation of its responsibility.

RIA, introduced in Korea in 1998 by enactment of law, enables the public officials in charge of designing regulations to take informed decisions on how to make regulations viable, sound and effective.

Assessment areas and factors for RIA include: overview of regulation in question, identifying regulated entities and stakeholders, lifetime of regulation, short description of both the existing regulation being reviewed and the new regulation being developed and regulation mapping, i.e., the mapping of relationship between the regulatory proposal in question and the existing regulations relating to it, cost-benefit-analysis of alternatives to the regulation in question. The ministry concerned must gather public opinions during the stipulated 20-day notice and comment period and report the results of its review to those who provided inputs on the relevant regulatory proposals.

After having reduced the number of regulations to a substantial level, the recent goal of the Korean government for the regulatory reform is achieving regulatory quality and national competitiveness at the level of advanced countries, said Prof Chin Seung Chung of Korea Development Institute. He said after successful early stage Quantitative Approach, they are now moving to Qualitative Approach. It is a shift from regulator-oriented regulation to user-oriented regulation and shift from government-only effort to joint government-private effort.

The Korea RRC has conducted surveys every year to hear the public and experts’ opinions on the regulatory reform. The results of survey have been used as feedbacks in setting future policy directions every year. The results over the last three years have shown consistency, most of the respondents expressed positive, but not satisfactory views on the government’s strong commitment to reform.

Media are also very vigilant. In a recent review, The Korea Herald wrote: regulations often lack clear standards, procedures and outcomes, and there is too much discretion given during their execution. They often have ambiguous standards and complex procedures, which leads to unreliable outcomes. Many regulations are unrealistic. They are difficult to execute and create an environment in which they end up either being absent or failing to serve their original purpose.

Prof Chin Seung Chung, a former vice-minister, stressed the need for regulatory transparency. He said government officials want to retain regulations to enjoy more power. Prof Chin criticised the involvement of the bureaucrats in the key events of reform process. He even questioned why the RRO is in Prime Minister’s office.

Now let us look back to the regulatory reform process in our country. Reform is a continued process. It was initiated earlier in the banking sector. It is a success story. There are also reforms in other sectors. Though there exists Law Commission etc in our country, the immediate past caretaker government actually made ignition by constituting the Regulatory Reforms Commission (RRC) headed by Dr Akbar Ali Khan. The 17-member RRC was formed by a notification, not by an ordinance. Five of all part-time members are from private sector. It is presently a recommending body.

There are two things we need to address immediately. One is to introduce RIA process for new rule/regulation at the ministry/agency level. Another is to give RRC an institutional and permanent shape, preferably through enactment of law. All the country’s primary and secondary laws, including the proposed one, should be required to be cleared by the RRC, whatever name we shall call the body. This will definitely improve governance standard in our country. With better international credibility and improved regulatory consistency and predictability, we can become one of the most attractive investment hubs in Asia.

National body for consumers’ rights protection formed

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.info/search_index.php?page=detail_news&news_id=53301

National body for consumers’ rights protection formed

Naim-Ul-Karim

The government has formed a high-powered national body for drafting rules and regulations in line with the recently promulgated ‘Consumers Right Protection Ordinance-2008′ to shield the consumers from market foul plays, officials said Sunday.

The 21-member body under the name, ‘National Consumer Right Protection Parishad (NCRPP)’, is headed by the commerce Minister. A gazette notification to this effect was published in the first week of this month.

The NCRPP was formed after President Dr Iajuddin Ahmed promulgated the much-awaited Consumer Right Protection Ordinance (CRPO)-2008.

The Ordinance — first of its kind in the history of Bangladesh — would provide the government and the consumers the ‘necessary tools’ to detect market distortions and rein in ‘abnormal price hikes’ that have long been major causes of sufferings to the consumers.

The successive governments have tried to enact laws to curb hoarding and market manipulations, but their attempts failed mainly due to opposition by the vested interest groups.

The caretaker administration stepped up its effort to formulate the consumer protection law early this year amid soaring commodity prices, caused by a global spike and speculation and hoarding by some big traders in the country.

Experts and economists then said the absence of an effective consumer protection and competition laws has allowed the big traders to manipulate the situation at the expense of millions of the country’s poor consumers.

The 21-member NCRPP includes senior officials from the ministries of commerce, agriculture, fisheries, disaster management, home affairs, energy and law, Bangladesh Police, Drug Administration, Bangladesh Rifles, civil society, Jatiya Mahila Sangstha, National Security Intelligence (NSI) and the Bangladesh Standard Testing Institution.

The Parishad also includes presidents of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceuticals Industry, the Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh and National Press Club as members with director general of the consumer protection directorate as its member secretary.

The terms of reference empowers the parishad to make its recommendation to the government’s regarding consumers welfare.

The NCPRP will also be responsible to extend cooperation to the government while the latter would formulate new law and policies for further strengthening the consumers’ right.

Council of advisers approves Judicial Service Secretariat Ordinance-2008

http://www.bssnews.net/index.php?genID=BSS-02-2008-12-14&id=255

Council of advisers approves Judicial Service Secretariat Ordinance-2008

DHAKA,Bangladesh, Dec 14 (BSS) – The Council of Advisers today approved the Judicial Service Secretariat Ordinance-2008 for complete separation of judiciary from the executive.

The approval was given at a meeting of the council of advisers held here this afternoon with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair.

After the meeting, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Syed Fahim Munaim said the ordinance will help establish effective control of the Supreme Court on lower courts and tribunals.

Briefing newsmen, he said it will shift total administrative affairs of judicial service to the new secretariat from the ministry of law affairs.

Besides, the council approved Bangladesh Telecommunications (amendment) Ordiannce-2008 and Chartered Secretaries (amendment) Ordinance-2008.

The press secretary said the meeting also approved the Emergency Power Repeal Ordinance-2008 and a proposal regarding lifting of emergency declared on January 11, 2007.

Besides, the council approved in principle a proposal to upgrade College of Textile Technology located in Tejgaon, Dhaka to Bangladesh Textile University.

The council after holding thorough discussion asked the ministry of education to bring the proposal before the cabinet soon after further examination.

Advisers and special assistants to the Chief Adviser attended the meeting held at the Chief Adviser’s Office (CAO). Cabinet secretary, press secretary and secretaries concerned were present.

BBBF progress to be reviewed this week

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.info/search_index.php?page=detail_news&news_id=51447

BBBF progress to be reviewed this week

Naim-Ul-Karim

The chief of the country’s caretaker administration will sit with members of the Bangladesh Better Business Forum (BBBF) this week to review the progress of the organization made since its inception almost a year ago.

Officials said the 6th meet of the forum, formed to help foster economic growth through maintaining suitable business environment through public-private partnership, will emphasise implementation of the recommendations, made by its five working groups.

The groups were formed to work in the areas of ‘Business Entry and Operation’, ‘Infrastructure’, ‘Macro-economic Policy’, ‘Business Finance’, and ‘Skill Development of Manpower’, they added.

“The 6th meeting of the BBBF, scheduled to be held on November 25 with chief adviser (CA) Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair, will review the working groups’ functioning also,” a senior official said on Thursday.

The CA in the 5th meeting of the forum, held around two months back, called upon working groups for becoming more active and directed to implement the recommendations quickly.

The five working groups under the BBBF, designed to strengthen public-private interaction, have so far made over 250 recommendations. Of which, the forum endorsed 113. Of the approved recommendations, 52 have already been implemented while the rest are in different stages of implementation.

Among the recommendations already implemented are Reconstruction of National ICT Task Force, setting up of the National Skill Development Council (NSDC), increasing financing and extending facilities to small and medium enterprises, establishment of SME service center, expansion of tax holiday in industrialisation, rationalising import duty and reducing bandwidth and other charges on internet services.

The issues relating to the unimplemented recommendations, an official said, are now set to come across the table as top of the list of agendas.

He said the CA, also chairperson of the BBBF, during the fifth meeting instructed for regular monitoring to see the outcome of the already implemented and under-implementation recommendations of the BBBF.

Ordinance to prevent fish and animal adulteration finalised

http://www.newagebd.com/2008/may/24/nat.html#1

Ordinance to prevent fish and animal adulteration finalised
Stipulates penalties of one-year
in jail and Tk 50,000 fine
Obaidul Ghani

The government has finalised fish and animal feed ordinance 2008 keeping a provision of imprisonment of not less than one year and fine of Tk 50,000 against those involved with importing, purchasing, manufacturing, processing, marketing, quality control, sales and distribution of adulterated fish and animal feed.

The ordinance was approved on April 13 by the council of advisers at a meeting and is now awaiting approval and promulgation by the president, Iajuddin Ahmed, said sources at the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock on Tuesday.

In case of commercial feed production and supply, the feed manufacturing companies must follow the guidelines of quality feed production requiring different nutrients, or the manufacturers would have to face penalties and will have their licenses cancelled by the authorities for substandard feed production.

Under the ordinance, adulterated fish and animal feed means that which contains toxic ingredients which are also harmful for the environment or other animals including fish and livestock.

Without securing a license from the government, nobody would any longer be allowed to remain involved in fish and animal feed production, import and export, processing, marketing, sales and distribution after the ordinance comes into effect.

The government has also banned the use of chemical ingredients including antibiotics, growth hormones, steroids and pesticides as raw materials for producing fish and animal feed and in case of violation the government may confiscate all or part of the equipments of the guilty party.

The feed importers and manufactures must use labelling and air-tight packets for marketing their feeds which must also contain the basic information including name of the manufacturer, manufacturing country, company name, address and registration number, net weight of the products, name of different ingredients and nutrients and their percentages.

The packets are also stipulated to contain the date of production and expiry, identification code of the product source.

The government has nominated certain organisations as quality control laboratories which most likely include the fisheries and livestock departments, Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute, Bangladesh Council for Science and Industrial Research, Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, fisheries, veterinary and animal husbandry faculty of different universities and laboratories of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.

The act is ultimately expected to contain adulteration of fish and animal feed as some manufacturers are allegedly mixing different toxic additives are harmful for animals, said Santi Ranjan Das, extension director of the livestock services department.

In the long run, the act will also help exports of fish and meat abroad and it will also help the country to establish eco-friendly feed mills, said the official.

Efficient management cuts business costs at Ctg port

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=36422

Efficient management cuts business costs at Ctg port
Jasim Uddin Khan

File photo shows cargo being unloaded at Chittagong port. Strict vigilance and improved management reduced the business costs at the port in 2007.

Strict vigilance and efficient management reduced the business costs at Chittagong port in 2007.

The move also helped raise exports and improve the lead-time, businessmen said.

According to available data, importers previously had to pay Tk 30,000 on an average for per less than container load (LCL) and Tk 20,000 for per full container load (FCL) TEUs at the port.

LCL is a shipment that is not large enough to fill a standard cargo container and FCL is large enough to fill that cargo container.

“Now the importers need to pay only Tk 2,900 for both the LCL and FCL, of which Tk 1,500 is being paid to freight forwarders and Tk 1,408 for port landing charge,” said Mahbub Chowdhury, director, Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

Chowdhury said the shipping agents, freight forwarders and port and customs officials used to take away the additional charges without any legal ground.

Vested quarters stopped taking those additional charges with the introduction of some rules and regulations after the present caretaker government assumed power, he claimed.

The exporters had to pay Tk 13,000 as freight charges besides bribing port and customs officials and paying charges to the inland container depot.

“Now traders have to pay only Tk 600 as stamp duty instead of Tk 13,000,” Chowdhury said.

President of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Anwar Ul Alam Chowdhury Parvez termed the current situation at the port as very positive, which has made the local exporters more competitive than ever before.

“We are paying no additional charges at the port,” the BGMEA chief said.

“Bangladeshi exporters are getting more orders from buyers due to this competitive edge,” he added.

Abdus Salam Murshedi, a director of the BGMEA, said import is an essential component for the country’s export trade

“A huge fall in overall cost has contributed much in increasing Bangladesh’s export,” Murshedi said.

The lead-time was a great hurdle, according to businesses. They said earlier it took 32 days to 35 days to reach a consignment to Europe from Bangladesh. Now the lead-time hovers between 25 days to 28 days, they said.

“Waiting time at outer anchorage to berth a vessel also reduced significantly at 5 days from previous 11 days,” Fazlul Hoque, president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), said.

He said the timely customs clearance and efficient management of container also improved the situation.

Due to the changed scenario and the improvement in competitiveness, the country’s export grew an impressive 21.25 per cent in March to reach the first nine months exports over US$ 10 billion amid more shipments of key garment items.

“Our exports continued to maintain a double digit growth. Both knitwear and woven items have done exceedingly well,” said Shafyat Sohel, a garment exporter.

The traders now suggest immediate introduction of container scanning system at Chittagong Port.

Presently, a USA bound ship loaded with Bangladeshi products requires a 10-11-day waiting at any USA port for security checkup. “If the Bangladesh government introduces a scanner, security check-up at the USA and EU ports will be minimum,” he added.

First dividends of separated judiciary

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=36200

First dividends of separated judiciary
Salutary impact in lower courts

THERE has been much discussion and debate as to the impact in the higher courts of the long-awaited separation of the judicial branch from the executive branch, but we are pleased to note that in the operation and functioning of the lower courts there can be no question that the measure has been a resounding success.

We are gratified to learn from the Supreme Court registrar that the lower courts have been able to expeditiously dispose of over 3 lakh cases in the six months since the lower judiciary was made independent of political control.

Of course, this is not enough, and over six lakh cases remain pending as well as over two and a half lakh more in the higher courts, but it is a good start and the kind of improvement that the nation hoped to see when the independence of the judiciary had been a burning priority.

Let us hope that in the coming six months a large proportion of the remaining back-log of cases are also disposed of with similar efficiency and that justice can continue to be delivered swiftly, smoothly, and equitably.

It is reported that there are still 168 posts of judges that remain vacant and we trust and hope that they will be filled up quickly in order to help deal with the remaining backlog of cases. It is understood that, in addition, 390 new assistant judges will be appointed this month to help address the backlog.

These are all heartening measures and we cannot stress enough how crucial it is for the nation that the courts continue in the direction of greater efficiency and impartiality. There is no more fundamental right than the right to justice.

For too long the everyday citizens of the country suffered due to the politicisation of the judiciary which meant that for those not well connected or wealthy enough that there was no recourse to justice when they had been wronged.

We applaud the fact that the Bangladeshi people are now getting greater access to justice and urge the concerned authorities to ensure that the delivery of justice only gets better.

Government to set up local government commission soon: Anwarul

http://www.bssnews.net/index.php?genID=BSS-06-2008-05-11&id=255

Government to set up local government commission soon: Anwarul

DHAKA, Bangladesh, May 11 (BSS) – The Adviser for Local Government, Rural Development (LGRD) and Cooperatives Md Anwarul Iqbal today said, the government would soon set up a local government commission in pursuance of the popular demand of the wide range stakeholders including local government representatives, academia and the development partners.

Referring to various measures undertaken by the present caretaker government for reforming the local government system, he said, the strong local governance that ensures protection of rights of the people at the grass root levels has been missing in the system.

The Adviser was addressing as the chief guest to inaugurate a two-day national workshop on “Local Justice System,” at the LGED auditorium here.

The Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) and the World Bank jointly organized the workshop with BLAST Chairman Dr Kamal Hossain in the chair.

World Bank Country Director Xian Zhu and Executive Director of BLAST Taslimur Rahman addressed the function.

The Adviser said, with the implementation of the decisions on reforms of the local government system, a new rural Bangladesh will emerge as an entity that would truly be empowered to solve the local problems and to cater the services of the people.

“Under the system, the grass root people would enjoy decision making authority in local matters,” he said adding that to this end, the preparations are underway for the election of the local bodies.

Dr Kamal Hossain underlined the need for establishing social justice through strengthening the local government system.

Foreign Trade Institute finally activated 4 years after formation

http://www.newagebd.com/2008/may/07/front.html#19

Foreign Trade Institute finally activated 4 years after formation
Staff Correspondent

The Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute, a public-private organisation for trade policy research, has recently been activated after four years of dormancy since its establishment.

The country’s increasing integration into the global trading regime under the World Trade Organisation has enhanced the importance of such a trade policy think-tank that can help both the government and private sector, said the commerce adviser, Hossain Zillur Rahman, on Tuesday.

Professor Mohammad Ali Taslim, a teacher of economics in Dhaka University who had earlier led the Tariff Commission in global negotiations, has joined the Foreign Trade Institute as its first chief executive officer with the goal of making this organisation effective within a year.

Presiding over the first ever meeting of the board of directors of the institute, the adviser expressed the hope that it could become an example of public-private partnership after it had taken a clear shape.

‘This is the beginning of a new journey of an organisation which was established in 2004 but had no full set-up. We hope that similar organisations will be set up in different sectors following the footsteps of this one,’ said Zillur.

Emphasising the need for diversifying exports, he pointed out that Bangladesh had long been dependent on only a few exportable items, which makes the country’s export trade very vulnerable.

Professor Taslim said the main objective of this organisation would be to make Bangladesh more competitive in international trade, and establishment of similar organisations would largely depend on the success of this institute. ‘You will see results in a year,’ he told a questioner when asked about his vision.

When he was asked if any foreign donor-financed organisation would be sustainable in the long run, he pointed out that the institute had to become self-sustaining within a short span of time.

The European Commission provided 7 million euros while the government of Bangladesh and the trade bodies together floated an endowment fund of 0.7 million euros for the operation of the institute.

Housed in TCB [Trading Corporation of Bangladesh] Bhaban, the Foreign Trade Institute is also mandated to increase trade-related capacity of government agencies and private sector enterprises through training and consultation. The institute’s board of directors, chaired by the commerce minister, is equally represented by public and private sector office-bearers.

Ex-officio vice-chairmen of the board of directors are commerce secretary Feroz Ahmed and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s president Annisul Huq, and its members include executive chairman of the Board of Investment Kamal Uddin Ahmed, principal of the Foreign Service Academy Shahed Akhtar, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury, president of the Bangladesh Textiles Manufacturers Association Abdul Hai Sarkar and president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hossain Khaled.

One stop service to set up in BSTI regional offices

http://www.bssnews.net/index.php?genID=BSS-10-2008-05-06&id=255

One stop service to set up in BSTI regional offices

DHAKA, Bangladesh, May 6 (BSS)- Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute (BSTI) would set up one stop services center in its regional offices like the headquarters aiming better control the quality of commodities, preservation and its development.

This was disclosed at a meeting held between Special Assistant in charge of Industries Ministry to the Chief Adviser and BSTI high officials at Standard Bhaban here today.

The meeting took decision for strengthening BSTI and making it more service oriented by taking a number of steps after reviewing the institute’s overall activities.

The meeting informed that BSTI has already formulated citizen charter to ensure consumer services in the shortest possible time. Following the charter, at present, BSTI collecting sample of commodities and giving standard certificate after examination.

In the current fiscal till March, BSTI income stood at Taka 12.35 crore from different sectors and spent Taka 10.95 crore.

BSTI revenue income sectors are control standard of commodities, scrutiny weight testing equipment and collection fee distributing certificates to different organizations.

According to a mega plan, the government initially would spend Taka 500 crore to set up BSTI offices across the country to ensure adulteration free food and stop cheating in weight.

At present, the country has six BSTI offices in six divisions having the total number of field officers only 30.

Mahbub Jamil said, rapid industrialization is a must through joint cooperation of private and government partnership Especially to make the poverty alleviation programme successful.

The special assistant asked officials and employees to put sincere efforts in developing private sectors.

Earlier, Mahbub Jamil witnesses the one-stop services activities set up at Standard Bhaban recently.

Industry Secretary Dr M Nurul Amin, BSTI Director General M Azmal Hossain and high officials of the organization were present.

Permanent price monitoring cell soon

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/search_index.php?page=detail_news&news_id=32598

Permanent price monitoring cell soon

Shakhawat Hossain

Establishment of the proposed cell to monitor prices of essential commodities in domestic as well as international markets is now in the final stage, officials said.

The ministry of establishment is making the final scrutiny after the ministry of commerce proposed manpower and terms of reference of the cell, said a senior commerce ministry official.

The official said: “The cell, which will be under the control of the commerce ministry, will be placed under the revenue budget from the next fiscal. The commerce ministry already has some more cells, namely, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) cell, textile cell and insurance cell under its control.”

The proposed cell, whenever necessary, will make available the information to the ministry of commerce in details on import of various important consumer goods-their prices and quantities.

The cell will also have its own ’surveillance unit’ to check ‘market manipulation and dishonest cartels, if there is any’, added the official.

Commerce adviser Hussain Zillur proposed the formation of the price monitoring cell with the objective of stabilising the volatile commodity market.

The commerce ministry has long been assigned to stabilise the prices of essential commodities in the domestic market, but it lacked necessary mechanism to perform the job properly.

The commerce ministry earlier had a ‘market intelligence’ cell. But in the early 1990s, the then government wound up the cell on the plea that its presence ran counter to globalisation.

Now the ministry has to seek data on import and other information on major consumer items like rice, wheat and edible oil from the central bank and the revenue board.

“Such data gathering remains a problem for monitoring the market and quick decision making process,” said another ministry official, adding that the obstacles would be removed after establishment of the cell.

The cell will prepare its own market data to assist the government in its decision making in keeping with the changes in the global and the local markets.

As per proposal, the cell will have manpower strength of at least 12 people. It would prepare market report and commodity price trends on regular basis with the help of its market ’surveillance unit’.

BSTI licence renewal soars amid drive against malpractice

http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=34934

BSTI licence renewal soars amid drive against malpractice
87,02,026 products, services get licences renewed in 7 months against only 2,026 last fiscal
Jasim Uddin Khan

The number products and services licence renewal from standards authorities soared in seven months of the current fiscal year with the government agencies launching drives against business irregularities and food adulteration.

A total of 87,02,026 products and services got their licences renewed from Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) until January of 2007-08 against only 2,026 last fiscal year.

All products and services are required to renew their licences from the BSTI, the state agency that works under the Ministry of Industries.

Rafiqul Islam, an inspector of BSTI, said the unusual rise in licence renewal is the result of mobile courts that have been in operations for the last one year.

“Previously a few teams used to check BSTI certification. But now many mobile teams are in operations, forcing businesses to became more BSTI complaint,” Rafiqul added.

A total of 511,645 surveillance or mobile teams operated during the first seven months of the current fiscal against only 645 teams in the previous fiscal.

BSTI also refused record 378,973 applications that sought new licence this fiscal until January. In the previous fiscal, only 973 licences were refused.

Moreover, vigilance teams filed a total of 124,11,426 cases during the period against only 1426 cases during the previous fiscal.

Industries ministry sources said the government is going to expand the BSTI capacity to match with the growing volume of activities.

“It is now going to be impossible to perform the duties with existing capacity as work volume has increased tremendously,” another official said.

The government is working to strengthen offices outside Dhaka for meaningful decentralization so that the regional offices can function effectively, he added

The BSTI officials also feel some laws need to be amended to protect consumers’ rights.

“Some businessmen are still trying to cheat consumers to escape the existing laws when it comes to maintaining quality and standards of products,” said a consumer rights expert.

BBBF puts suggestions for boosting business

http://www.newagebd.com/2008/apr/24/busi.html#1

BBBF puts suggestions for boosting business
United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka

The Bangladesh Better Business Forum, a high-profile government-businesspeople platform, Wednesday elaborately discussed over 100 recommendations for improving business and investment atmosphere to attain desired economic growth.

The recently formed forum in its third meeting with its chairperson chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair at the CA’s office discussed the recommendations placed by five thematic working groups of the BBBF after working out them in 23 meetings.

The recommendations were categorised for their quick, efficient and effective implementation in specific time.

They were categorised mainly in three groups — matter for immediate action which would be implemented immediately, matters for short-term action which would be implemented within next one to two months and matters for midterm action which would be implemented within four to six months.

Management and financing of Small and Medium Enterprise for its overall development and development of ICT sector figure prominently in the immediate-action recommendations.

Recommendations covered in short-term action group include expansion of Tax Holiday, providing tax facility, simplification of company registration, trade license, VAT and environment certificates, reduction of bank interest and development of work efficiency.

Maximum of these dos will be addressed in the coming budget.

Other recommendations would be placed in the next meeting of the forum to make them implementation-worthy after refining those in the working groups.
The BBBF hopes that if these decisions are implemented, it will have positive impacts on overall business and investment in next two to three months. ‘As a result, country rating regarding business will be improved and overall image of the country enhanced,’ the meeting was told.

Chief adviser Fakhruddin directed the ministries, departments and organisations concerned to implement those recommendations on priority basis.
‘Necessary monitoring and evaluation would be carried out to supervise whether the decisions are being implemented,’ he said.

The chief adviser thanked the thematic working groups for their efforts put in preparing the recommendations.

Bangladesh Bank, NBR, Registrar of Joint Stock Company, City Corporation and BTRC would implement their relevant decisions, according to BOI executive chairman Kamal Uddin Ahmed, also member- secretary to the forum.

The meeting observed that the activity of the BBBF is a continuous process as business and investment is an ongoing concern.

The thematic working groups would keep up their activities according to their working areas and would present recommendations to the Better Business Forum regularly.

The next meeting of the BBBF would be held at the end of next month to review the latest developments, according to the chief adviser’s press secretary Syed Fahim Munaim, who was present at the meeting.

Finance adviser, law adviser, special assistant to the chief adviser for industries ministry, special assistant to chief adviser for power and energy ministry, cabinet secretary, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division, BOI chairman, BTRC chairman, chairmen and co-chairmen of the five thematic working groups, business representatives and secretaries concerned were present at the meeting.