Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza) received $56.33 million investment from seven multinational companies during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Of them, five companies are from South Korea, Sri Lanka and China while the rest two are local, says a press release.
Bepza inked the investment agreements at a time when the whole world was passing tough time due to stagnant economic activities for Coronavirus pandemic.
The authorities tried its best to keep moving the economy of the country as well as ensuring the production of the export processing zones (EPZs) uninterrupted, said the release, adding that it instructed and monitored the enterprises of the EPZs to maintain health hygiene rules strictly.
Bepza also ensured timely payment of the wages, bonus, dues and other benefits of the EPZs’ workers without terminating workers illegally during this time, it mentioned.
The enterprises of EPZs maintained health protection, hand washing and sanitizing arrangement, medical facilities, disinfection tunnel in the factory, restriction of visitors’ entry inside the zones, safe working environment as per the directions of Bepza, the release reads.
Apart from producing traditional items, some enterprises of the EPZs produced safety equipment including personal protective equipment (PPE) and exported the goods to different countries, the press release said and added that eight EPZs in operation under Bepza exported goods worth of $3913.14 million during January-August, 2020.
The actual investment stood $169.91 million in those enterprises during this time, the release said.
