European envoys for steps to ease trade facilities in BD
European Ambassadors on Sunday called on the government to take practical action with a view to improve the ease of doing business in Bangladesh.
The Heads of Mission of the European Union, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom made the call while participating in the 5th plenary of the EU-Bangladesh Business Climate Dialogue held at the Commerce Ministry. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi chaired the dialogue while Commerce Secretary M Mofizul Islam and European Union Ambassador Rensje Teerinkco were present. Senior officials from relevant Ministries and agencies as well as by the Heads of Diplomatic Missions of the EU Member States and representatives of the EU private sector in Bangladesh were also present.
The EU-Bangladesh Business Climate dialogue was initiated in May 2016 between the EU Business Council in Dhaka and the Commerce Ministry, with the aim to jointly remove impediments that obstruct EU trade and investment in Bangladesh. The Heads of Mission underlined that the Business Climate Dialogue is a good opportunity for Bangladesh to seek feedback from important EU stakeholders on improving the business environment and,
by doing so, attract more EU trade and investment to the country.
This would be beneficial both to Bangladesh and the EU, said the EU Embassy in Dhaka.
They noted that the policy reform process in Bangladesh has proved to be lengthy and complex.
Regulatory unpredictability, uncertainty, and the lack of coherence in policy implementation are major barriers to doing business, as highlighted in recent international and domestic reports.
They called on the dialogue to be used by both sides as a vehicle to deliver improvements.
They said that there is a need for action in favour of reform at all levels within the Ministries.
Political declarations should be accompanied with corresponding actions aimed at improving the modus operandi within the administrations. The Heads of Mission further suggested the government to take steps to make doing business easy and fair for all.
