Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed yesterday said the government will provide an all-out cooperation, plus low-cost fund to promote the tea sector.
“We will give loan with a low interest rate and discourage the import of substandard tea only to be selfreliant in tea production and meet our local demand,” Tofail said.
The minister was addressing a view exchange meeting with Bangladesh Tea Association (BTA) at his office yesterday.
A delegation led by Ardashir Kabir, BTA chairman, met the minister.
Bangladesh produces global standard tea and the government is very cordial to increase domestic production instead of import to meet local demand, said Tofail Ahmed.
“We will take all necessary steps so that tea garden owners are not affected by the Especial Economic Zone (EEZ) to be built at Chunarughat in Habiganj.”
According to the Commerce Ministry, there are about 1 lakh workers employed in the sector.
Some areas in the country are very suitable for tea cultivation and it is possible to earn a huge amount of money, exporting higher standard tea, the minister added.
The association leaders urged the government to provide them loan with low interest to help increase tea production and stop establishment of EEZ at Chunarughat.
They also urged the government to impose ban on import of tea or impose higher tax on the import.
The minister, however, assured the sector people, saying that it is the duty of the government of save the tea sector and the government will not take any measures that will hurt the sector.
The decision of establishing EEZ would be taken after the review of the impact, he added.
Senior Commerce Secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamoon, BTA senior Vice-Chairman M Shah Alam, Vice-Chairman Kamran T Rahman, committee member M Wahidul Haque and Mohd Safwan Choudhury, former chairman AQI. Chowdhury, Sylhet planters Managing Director AK Azad, Shahbazpur Tea Company Director Tapan Choudghury, Chairman of Finlay Tea Azam J Chowdhury and Managing Director of Halda Velly Tea MD Nader khan were present at the meeting.