Wider market, product diversification planned
Sustain export growth
Special Correspondent :
Commerce secretary Md. Mofizul Islam on Wednesday said that the government has taken a number of measures to increase export and diversify markets and products for sustaining the country’s export growth in post- LDC era.
“In fact, the government is implementing a comprehensive array of policies and programmes to improve the environment for trade with a view to sustaining Bangladesh’s export growth after its LDC graduation,” he said.
The Commerce Secretary passed the remark in the closing ceremony of a training programme, “Trade and WTO,” a special course for the journalists of print media.
A total of 21 journalists participated in the three-days (15-17 April) training course held at the Virtual Classroom, MBA Bhaban, University of Dhaka.
The WTO Cell of the Ministry of Commerce Ministry and the Center for Microfinance and Development jointly organized the training programme.
“In the market economy, trade has become a key tool for economic development, improved livelihood and poverty alleviation for the developing nations in the globe. Bangladesh is not the exception and it has been maintaining a high economic growth driven by booming exports,” Commerce Secretary Md. Mofizul Islam said.
A dramatic increase in developing countries participation in global trade has coincided with an equally sharp decline in extreme poverty worldwide, according to a World Bank report titled the role of trade in ending poverty. Developing countries now constitute 48 percent of world trade, up from 33 percent in 2000, and the number of people living in extreme poverty has been cut in half since 1990, to just under one billion people.
Trade has also helped increase the number and quality of jobs in developing countries, stimulated economic growth, according to the WB report.
“The government has set highest priority to promote the country’s export trade to create more jobs and stimulate economic growth,” said Md. Mofizul Islam.
Furthermore, it has been engaged in bilateral, regional and multilateral trade negotiations with various countries and trade blocks to provide Bangladeshi exporters better access to export markets and remove trade barriers.
“We have to address the existing trade barriers. But it is not the biggest problem. Branding and product quality have become the main problem for export trade, ” said Md. Mofizul Islam.
He further said that the government has been doing a lot to promote the trade and investment. Being the designated Ministry, the Ministry of Commerce is implementing the government policies relating to trade promotion.
“Huge development has already been done in this regard and more to follow,” said the Commerce Secretary asking the journalists to be the development partner of the Ministry.
“I appreciate if you (journalists) come forward to this effort with utmost professionalism.”
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Director General of the WTO Cell Md Munir Chowdhury said, the government has introduced various policy measures time to time to safeguard local exports.
“Necessary policy intervention will also be put in place keeping in view the emerging challenges of global trade following the country’s graduation from LDC,” he added.
He also said that Bangladesh need to diversify its export products, develop skilled manpower and enhance capacity of the relevant government agencies for maintaining export growth in post-LDC era.
The sessions of the training programme were focused on background and basic principals of the WTO, WTO agreements, Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), Dispute Settlement Mechanism of the WTO, Dispute Settlement Mechanism of the WTO, Non-tariff measures and WTO Trade Policy Review Mechanism.
Noted academicians and trade experts conducted the sessions.
“The training programme was organized to provide a broad-based understanding among the journalists about the global trading system and WTO,” Prof M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said while speaking in the closing ceremony of the training course.
He said the foundations and provisions of specific WTO agreements and rules covered in the training sessions will help journalists to improve their professional skill and excellence.
Dr Mostafa Abid Khan, Member of Tariff Commission, Md Hafizur Rahman, Director of the WTO Cell and Abdul Latif Bakshi, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Commerce were present, among others, at the closing ceremony.
Commerce secretary Md. Mofizul Islam on Wednesday said that the government has taken a number of measures to increase export and diversify markets and products for sustaining the country’s export growth in post- LDC era.
“In fact, the government is implementing a comprehensive array of policies and programmes to improve the environment for trade with a view to sustaining Bangladesh’s export growth after its LDC graduation,” he said.
The Commerce Secretary passed the remark in the closing ceremony of a training programme, “Trade and WTO,” a special course for the journalists of print media.
A total of 21 journalists participated in the three-days (15-17 April) training course held at the Virtual Classroom, MBA Bhaban, University of Dhaka.
The WTO Cell of the Ministry of Commerce Ministry and the Center for Microfinance and Development jointly organized the training programme.
“In the market economy, trade has become a key tool for economic development, improved livelihood and poverty alleviation for the developing nations in the globe. Bangladesh is not the exception and it has been maintaining a high economic growth driven by booming exports,” Commerce Secretary Md. Mofizul Islam said.
A dramatic increase in developing countries participation in global trade has coincided with an equally sharp decline in extreme poverty worldwide, according to a World Bank report titled the role of trade in ending poverty. Developing countries now constitute 48 percent of world trade, up from 33 percent in 2000, and the number of people living in extreme poverty has been cut in half since 1990, to just under one billion people.
Trade has also helped increase the number and quality of jobs in developing countries, stimulated economic growth, according to the WB report.
“The government has set highest priority to promote the country’s export trade to create more jobs and stimulate economic growth,” said Md. Mofizul Islam.
Furthermore, it has been engaged in bilateral, regional and multilateral trade negotiations with various countries and trade blocks to provide Bangladeshi exporters better access to export markets and remove trade barriers.
“We have to address the existing trade barriers. But it is not the biggest problem. Branding and product quality have become the main problem for export trade, ” said Md. Mofizul Islam.
He further said that the government has been doing a lot to promote the trade and investment. Being the designated Ministry, the Ministry of Commerce is implementing the government policies relating to trade promotion.
“Huge development has already been done in this regard and more to follow,” said the Commerce Secretary asking the journalists to be the development partner of the Ministry.
“I appreciate if you (journalists) come forward to this effort with utmost professionalism.”
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Director General of the WTO Cell Md Munir Chowdhury said, the government has introduced various policy measures time to time to safeguard local exports.
“Necessary policy intervention will also be put in place keeping in view the emerging challenges of global trade following the country’s graduation from LDC,” he added.
He also said that Bangladesh need to diversify its export products, develop skilled manpower and enhance capacity of the relevant government agencies for maintaining export growth in post-LDC era.
The sessions of the training programme were focused on background and basic principals of the WTO, WTO agreements, Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), Dispute Settlement Mechanism of the WTO, Dispute Settlement Mechanism of the WTO, Non-tariff measures and WTO Trade Policy Review Mechanism.
Noted academicians and trade experts conducted the sessions.
“The training programme was organized to provide a broad-based understanding among the journalists about the global trading system and WTO,” Prof M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said while speaking in the closing ceremony of the training course.
He said the foundations and provisions of specific WTO agreements and rules covered in the training sessions will help journalists to improve their professional skill and excellence.
Dr Mostafa Abid Khan, Member of Tariff Commission, Md Hafizur Rahman, Director of the WTO Cell and Abdul Latif Bakshi, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Commerce were present, among others, at the closing ceremony.
