UK to provide duty-free access of BD products
Staff Reporter :
UK High Commissioner to Dhaka Robert Chatterton Dickson on Monday said his country is committed to providing duty-free access of Bangladeshi products.
The British envoy made the remarks at DCAB Talk organized by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at the auditorium of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in the city. DCAB President Raheed Ejaz and General Secretary Nurul Islam Hasib also spoke.
Bangladesh needs to improve the situation of business environment, Dickson said.
“I try to convince the UK companies to invest in Bangladesh. But some of them say the procedures of doing businesses (with Bangladesh) are very complicated,” Dickson said.
Recognising significant economic relations between the two countries, he said
the UK is committed to maintaining Bangladesh’s duty-free and quota-free market access once the UK leaves the European Union (EU).
He said the UK-Bangladesh bilateral trade in 2018 was £3.6 billion, with Bangladesh exporting £3 billion of goods and services to the UK, and the UK exporting £627 million of goods and services to Bangladesh.
“The UK is the third largest export market for Bangladesh,” he said adding that the UK is Bangladesh’s second largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). In 2018, the UK’s net FDI into Bangladesh was US$ 373 million.
High Commissioner Dickson said the UK Export Finance current credit limit of £750 million for Bangladesh market shows the UK’s commitment to support potential business opportunities in Bangladesh.
The UK is the 6th largest source of remittance for Bangladesh, with a value of US$ 1.1 billion.
The British High Commissioner said as a long standing friend of Bangladesh and its people, they deeply value the UK’s relationship with Bangladesh.
The High Commissioner said people must be allowed to discuss and debate issues freely, to challenge their governments, and to make informed decisions.
He mentioned that a free media is vital to creating an active, informed, creative and engaged population.
“It is an enabling factor for a range of objectives, including good governance, democracy, gender and other equalities, and poverty reduction,” Dickson added.
The diplomat said the UK is committed to media freedom and the protection of journalists across the world and will be co-hosting the ‘Global Conference for Media Freedom in 2019.’
The conference will be the first of its kind and will take place on July 10 to 11 in London.
UK High Commissioner to Dhaka Robert Chatterton Dickson on Monday said his country is committed to providing duty-free access of Bangladeshi products.
The British envoy made the remarks at DCAB Talk organized by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at the auditorium of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in the city. DCAB President Raheed Ejaz and General Secretary Nurul Islam Hasib also spoke.
Bangladesh needs to improve the situation of business environment, Dickson said.
“I try to convince the UK companies to invest in Bangladesh. But some of them say the procedures of doing businesses (with Bangladesh) are very complicated,” Dickson said.
Recognising significant economic relations between the two countries, he said
the UK is committed to maintaining Bangladesh’s duty-free and quota-free market access once the UK leaves the European Union (EU).
He said the UK-Bangladesh bilateral trade in 2018 was £3.6 billion, with Bangladesh exporting £3 billion of goods and services to the UK, and the UK exporting £627 million of goods and services to Bangladesh.
“The UK is the third largest export market for Bangladesh,” he said adding that the UK is Bangladesh’s second largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). In 2018, the UK’s net FDI into Bangladesh was US$ 373 million.
High Commissioner Dickson said the UK Export Finance current credit limit of £750 million for Bangladesh market shows the UK’s commitment to support potential business opportunities in Bangladesh.
The UK is the 6th largest source of remittance for Bangladesh, with a value of US$ 1.1 billion.
The British High Commissioner said as a long standing friend of Bangladesh and its people, they deeply value the UK’s relationship with Bangladesh.
The High Commissioner said people must be allowed to discuss and debate issues freely, to challenge their governments, and to make informed decisions.
He mentioned that a free media is vital to creating an active, informed, creative and engaged population.
“It is an enabling factor for a range of objectives, including good governance, democracy, gender and other equalities, and poverty reduction,” Dickson added.
The diplomat said the UK is committed to media freedom and the protection of journalists across the world and will be co-hosting the ‘Global Conference for Media Freedom in 2019.’
The conference will be the first of its kind and will take place on July 10 to 11 in London.
