Joint chambers can play a vital role to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), which is much needed for accelerating economic growth, experts said yesterday.
They also said, “Bangladesh has missed the opportunities to attract overseas investment due to its existing precarious condition in areas like infrastructures, ports, energy and gas.”
They were speaking at an event titled “Joint Chambers’ Meet Up” which was jointly organised Board of Investment (BoI) and Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CanCham) at the DCCI auditorium in the city. Leaders from a number of joint chambers attended at the programme.
Addressing the meeting, BoI Executive Chairman S A Samad underscored the need for sustainable networking among the joint chambers operating in Bangladesh for attracting more FDI.
He also urged the joint chambers’ leaders to make investment in 27 locations identified by the government for establishing special economic zones in the different part of the country.
“Bangladesh needs investment of about US$7-8bn in infrastructure development to attain 8-9% GDP growth.”
CanCham Bangladesh President Masud Rahman said, “The present investment regime in Bangladesh is quite attractive than many other countries in Asia but we are yet to reap maximum benefit out of it because of precarious condition in areas like infrastructure, port, energy and gas.”
He also sated that joint chambers could play pivotal role to promote trade and investment between Bangladesh and different foreign countries.
Director of Nordic Chamber of Commerce and Regional Head (Bangladesh and Pakistan) of H&M Roger Hubert, President of Dutch-Bangla Chamber of Commerce Hasan Khaled, Senior Vice President of Indonesia-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce Muhammad Golam Mustafa, Director of France-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce Dr Rifat Rashid, CEO of India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce Jahangir Bin Alam, Senior Vice President of Bangladesh-Thai Chamber of Commerce Charles C R Patra, Advisor of Turkey-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce Halef Ozkurt, President of Italy-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce H M Hakim Ali, President of Philippine-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce R Maksud Khan and Executive Member of Foreign Investors’ Chambers of Commerce and Industry Christopher Young attended the programme, among others.
