Padma Bridge by 2013
Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain yesterday said construction of much-awaited Padma Bridge would be completed by 2013 for which the necessary fund is ready.
The government would present inception report on the design of Padma Multipurpose Bridge tomorrow, the minister told the newsmen at a course launching ceremony of Brac University with its Vice-chancellor Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury in the chair.
Talking to The Daily Star, he said “I have already got a copy of the report with a design of the bridge to be formally made public with the presence of our all donor agencies on April 30,” adding, “Already we have funds in hands. Once we get more funds from donor agencies we will start construction of the bridge.”
Earlier on January 13, the minister said construction of the proposed bridge would start in 2011 on river Padma connecting Mawa in Munshiganj with Janzira in Madaripur.
The volume of land to be affected by the bridge construction in Madaripur district has already been assessed, said the minister and added that it is yet to be done for Shariatpur and Munshiganj districts.
He said Bangladesh is now facing the challenge of becoming a middle income country with limited agricultural land against the increasing population, adding, “the country need land both for agriculture and establishing basic infrastructures.”
Abul Hossain stressed the need for more industrialisation as Bangladesh is at the ‘crossroad of a new development path’ to become a middle income country.
The three-month long postgraduate certificate course on ‘Management of Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation’ (MLARR), designed by Brac University in collaboration with the World Bank, DIFID and AusAid, will start from May 17.
Australian High Commissioner in Dhaka Justin Lee also spoke on the occasion.
S: The Daily Star
2011 Cricket WorldCup: Bangladesh to host two quarterfinals
Bangladesh will host eight matches including two quarterfinals of the 2011 World Cup after the tournament’s organising committee relocated Pakistan’s matches in Mumbai yesterday.
Apart from the matches, Bangladesh have been confirmed to host the opening ceremony on February 18, 2011 after it was revealed that Sri Lanka wanted to host the ceremony and give Bangladesh a semifinal.
“Sri Lanka wanted to hold the opening ceremony, giving us the semifinal but we kept the opening ceremony and were given the two quarterfinals,” revealed BCB media committee chairman Jalal Yunus.
India will host the final and one semifinal while Sri Lanka will stage the other semifinal. The other two quarterfinal will each be hosted by the two co-hosts.
India will host 29 of the 49 matches across eight venues and Sri Lanka will host 12 games in three venues.
The World Cup’s organising committee also decided to shift the tournament secretariat from Lahore to Mumbai. BCCI’s chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty was appointed the event’s managing director in place of Pakistani banker Salman Butt. The organising committee, headed by ICC vice-president Sharad Pawar, will include an operations and planning group comprising the Bangladesh Cricket Board senior vice-president Mahbubul Anam, Indian board secretary N Srinivasan, Sri Lanka’s Duleep Mendis and Shetty.
S: The Daily Star
Industrial cops in 3 months
Formation process of industrial police force would be completed within next three months to maintain peace and discipline in apparel sector for which all procedures already have been finalised.
Before introducing the new force, the government has decided to use battalion Ansars in the industrial areas to protect the sector from any untoward situation.
This was disclosed at a view-exchanging meeting between the garment manufacturers and exporters and the home minister, state minister for home affairs, lawmakers and high-ups from home ministry and law enforcing agencies at Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) office yesterday.
BGMEA organised the meeting on the present situation of export-oriented readymade garment industries.
The industrial police force, which is a long demand of the industrialists especially the garment manufacturers would be primarily manned with 1,850 members, Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder told the meeting.
“The process of forming industrial police is now at the final stage and to be completed within two to three months. The ministries of establishment and finance have already approved the proposal and it is now awaiting for approval from the secretary committee,” he said.
Speaking as the chief guest, Home Minister Sahara Khatun said global meltdown starts to affect the industries but “it is a temporary problem.”
She assured of her ministry’s all-out support and cooperation to the garment sector and said the government is dealing with issues of the garment industries with utmost sincerity as the largest portion of foreign exchange comes from this sector.
Sahara said all problems regarding ‘jhut’ (garment by-products) would be resolved and added that an integrated efforts from all is needed to solve the problem.
She also announced a committee comprising of representatives from locals, deputy commissioner, law enforcing agencies, BGMEA, BKMEA and home ministry to tackle the jhut problem.
State Minister for Home Affairs Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj said the prime minister from Saudi Arabia announced that Tk 3424-crore stimulus package would be reconsidered.
The garment industry representatives demanded announcement of financial assistance and policy support for the garment sector immediately to deal with the current global financial meltdown.
BGMEA President Abdus Salam Murshedy said the competing countries like India, Pakistan and China are giving different types of subsidy and stimulus package to this industry whereas nothing has been given to the country’s garment industry in the recently announced stimulus package, he said.
Apart from frequent power cut and acute shortage of gas supply, production cost has increased in garment sector while buying orders and prices of the product fall significantly across the world due to the meltdown, he said adding, “it would be difficult to run our factories in the upcoming months if we are not given the financial assistance and policy support.”
He also said around 35 factories are now unable to pay the salaries to their workers and the number will increase in the coming months.
Pointing out various problems exist in garment sector, the manufacturers said ‘Jhut’ has become a major problem for the industry as many criminal activities are taking place centring jhut business.
AKM Shahidul Haque, police commissioner of DMP, police could not trace 35 garment owners who went into hiding fearing labour unrest for non-payment of their salary and arrear.
He suggested giving jhuts to Dhaka City Corporation for recycling.
Lawmakers Sarah Begum Kabari, Jahid Ahsan Rasel, Nazrul Islam Babu, Benjir Ahmed, Aslamul Haque, Asaduzzaman Kamal, Shahriar Alam and representatives from BGMEA also spoke.
S: The Daily Star
First-ever Women’s Club Cricket on
A new chapter in country’s women’s cricket opened when the Women’s Club Cup tournament kicked off at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.
The popular Abahani got off a winning start when they handed a five-wicket defeat to BKSP in the opening match as the Dhanmondi based club scored 130 for five in 32.3 overs in reply to the trainees of the sports institute team’s 129 all out in stipulated 35 overs.
Papia Haque guided Abahani to secure the comfortable win as the opener made 38 off 63 balls that featured six boundaries.
BKSP’s skipper Farzana Haque top scored 37 off 45 deliveries with four boundaries for her team.
To encourage the girls to play cricket and to develop an upward trend of women’s sports the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Women’s Wing has organised the first ever tournament involving eight clubs.
“Major clubs have really embraced this tournament and are just as serious about winning it as they are for the men’s league title. Some of the top women players are getting paid also. This is a very encouraging sign for the future,” said Abahani captain and national team all-rounder Sathira Jakir.
“This is the first club competition for women in Bangladesh and our efforts will be directed towards holding this event every year,” said the BCB president Lt Gen Sina Ibn Jamali who inaugurated the competition.
The tournament will run for 11 days with the final scheduled on May 6.
S:
The Players
The Daily Star
No more privatisation of SoEs
The government will no more privatise state owned enterprises (SoE), as successful bidders have not been using the divested SoEs for purposes they had promised, said Industries Minister Dilip Barua yesterday.
Barua also suggested bringing down interest rates to single digits, as according to him, high interest rates are a major obstacle to the country’s industrialisation.
He announced that the government has no plan to allow more Export Processing Zones (EPZs) in the near future, rather it is interested in setting up Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
Barua said the government will also review whether some closed SoEs could be reopened for generating employment.
It will not allow SoE buyers to use divested land for real estate purposes, as many of them have been doing, violating privatisation policies, the minister added.
“We have no plan to privatise any more state owned enterprises for the time being,” Barua said while seeking opinions from entrepreneurs, government high-ups, industrialists, chamber leaders, and other stakeholders concerned at a consultation meeting for formulation of the industrial policy 2009.
Seventy six SoEs have been privatised so far since 1994, and most of the divested entities are being used for purposes other than the promised ones said officials of the Privatisation Commission (PC).
According to the privatisation policy, buyers of divested SoEs must commit to continue the operations of the enterprises and rejuvenate them, but in most cases they actually change the nature of the divested SoEs and start completely different businesses on purchased properties including lands.
At the meeting held in Sonargaon Hotel of the capital, Barua said the new industrial policy 2009 will be prepared on the basis of the industrial policy for 1996-2000.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industries Ministry Tofail Ahmed attended the meeting as chief guest.
Barua said the government will identify some sectors on priority basis to provide bank loans. “Interest rates of those loans will be at single digits.”
In the proposed policy the minister identified agro-based and agro-product processing industries, ship building, renewable energy, tourism, basic chemicals, dyeing, chemical products, computer software and ICT products, and highly value adding readymade garment (RMG) industry as thrust sectors.
The other industries identified as thrust sectors are active pharmaceutical ingredients, herbal medicine, polymer, plastic, jute, leather, hospitals and clinics, light engineering, cosmetics and toiletries, furniture, diamond cutting and polishing, and handicraft.
The proposed new industrial policy also identified 17 sectors as controlled industries, and four as preserved.
The preserved industrial sectors are arms and other military equipment, atomic power, security printing, and technology adoption for forests and protected forestlands.
Barua announced that the government will also formulate a policy for making sick industries profitable, but noted that ‘the government will not allow anyone to do business in the name of sick industries’.
“We may make it mandatory to buy local products for government procurement, for the betterment of local industries,” he added.
Tofail Ahmed emphasised on establishing more backward linkage industries for sustainable industrialisation and for employment generation.
He suggested fixing industry friendly duties on imports, and incorporating the opinions of many more stakeholders in formulating the final industrial policy.
He also urged the government to impose protectionist measures to save local industries. “Many developed countries in the world are practicing protectionism to save their products, and we also have to do so to save ours,” he said.
He also requested the government to formulate an industrial policy that will increasingly attract foreign investment.
Economists and chamber leaders in their instant reactions urged the government to be more cautious in selecting bidders for divestible SoEs, so that public entities are not misused.
Dr MK Mujeri, director general of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), said the government should be more cautious in selecting bidders for divestible SoEs.
“If the government could run the industries efficiently, we would be able to generate more employment. We should select good entrepreneurs for selling the SoEs,” Mujeri said.
Syed Nasim Manzur, managing director of Apex-Adelchi Footwear Limited, urged the government to modernise the processes of privatisation.
The authorities sell the SoEs to highest bidders, but the government does not notice whether the buyers have the ability or the mentality to continue and rejuvenate the operations of the divested public entities, Manzur, who is also a vice-president of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MCCI), said.
“The criteria for selecting the bidders should be modernised,” he said.
S: The Daily Star
Shipbuilding can play significant role in boosting economy
Local shipbuilders, who have already made a mark in wooing foreign buyers, said Bangladesh has a marvelous opportunity to earn huge foreign currencies by building and exporting ships.
“If the government patronises this prospective sector, it can play a significant role in giving a boost to the national economy,” said Karnaphuli Shipbuilders Ltd Managing Director MA Rashid, appreciating the present government’s positive approach to the sector.
He said marine vessels, ferries, cruise ships, fishing boats and launches are built in the country’s coastal belt and the offshore islands, but the potential of this sector still remained untapped simply for lack of visionary entrepreneurs, favourable atmosphere and government support.
“We can raise GDP (gross domestic product) by at least 3 percent within the next six years if we’re given an encouraging environment,” he added.
Industry insiders said the shipbuilding industry will be the driving force of another socio-economic uplift in the country after the RMG-driven revolution in the 80s, as it can create huge jobs at shipyards and its backward linkage industries.
The annual turnover of the global shipbuilding industry is around $1,522 billion. European shipbuilders stopped taking orders until 2010, while Asian shipbuilders in Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam have already received adequate export orders.
It is assumed that over $300 billion worth of export still remain untapped and local ship-making companies can grab this opportunity.
“This is a new but bright sector for us. So, it deserves a special consideration. The government will provide all necessary supports to this sector for its growth,” Industries Minister Dilip Barua told the news agency.
Meanwhile, Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) has recommended giving priority to the shipbuilding industry in the upcoming three-year import policy. It also recommended a plan to bring down bank interest rate to eight percent and simplify the import procedures of raw materials for the shipbuilding industry.
Sources said Western Marine Shipyard Limited has so far received orders for manufacturing five seagoing cargo vessels from a Danish company.
Another two shipbuilders — Ananda Shipyard Limited and Slipways Shipyard Limited — are also doing a good business.
Chairman of Western Marine Shipyard Md Saiful Islam said Bangladesh has a competitive edge on shipbuilding for having efficient and cheap labour force.
Referring to a problem, he said the country has an image crisis in the western and developed countries, adding: “We can rebuild the image with a flagship industry such as shipbuilding.”
“Shipbuilding is a heavy industry and also highly technical. Bangladesh can be turned into a shipbuilding nation from a ship-breaking one,” Saiful mentioned.
Entrepreneurs said having international certification and accreditation from the Germanisher Lloyd and Norske Veritas are a must for a country to grow as a shipbuilding nation.
“In most cases, international certification depends on the vessel’s design, craftsmanship, interior and exterior decoration, utilities, security and safety features what are again directly linked to the international suppliers of the vessel components,” an official of the country’s biggest private shipyard said demanding a favourable import policy for the budding industry.
Referring to Vietnamese investment in shipbuilding over the last decade, officials said Bangladesh has a competitive advantage over its Asian competitors because of its cheap and able workforce.
They think it is high time to tap the potential and urged the government to provide the industry required moral and infrastructural support.
Western Marine Shipyard has so far built 55 vessels. The vessels acquired certification from the international classification companies.
UNB, Dhaka
82pc pay boost for govt employees
The Pay Commission yesterday submitted its report to the finance ministry with recommendation to increase the salary of government staffs by 82 percent, on an average, with the condition that they pay their own income taxes.
In the report submitted to Finance Minister AMA Muhith at the finance ministry, the 13-member commission recommended Tk 45,000 (fixed) highest salary and lowest basic salary of Tk 4,000, Pay Commission sources said.
A commission member said they suggested cutting down the recommended highest salary if government officials do not pay their income taxes.
At present the government officials, who have taxable income, pay taxes themselves and the government refunds it to them later.
The Pay Commission report said around Tk 6,500 crore would be required additionally in the next fiscal year’s budget to fully implement the recommendations. The commission said the additional money could be collected by extending the VAT net, increasing land value and stopping the evasion of tax.
The commission recommended removing unnecessary expenditure and posts. It specified which posts can be abolished and where expenditure could be cut.
After receiving the report, Muhith told reporters, “The Pay Commission members requested me to implement the commission’s recommendations at one go. However, there is a question of ability… Whether it can be implemented at a time remains doubtful. I would be happy if it could be implemented at one go but this year we are experiencing recession.”
He did not say anything in detail about the contents of the Pay Commission’s report. He said it could be divulged after 15 days.
Pay Commission Chairman Mostafizur Rahman also did not say anything about their report to journalists. He, however, said instead of forming a pay commission every five years they recommended adjusting the salary with inflation every year.
Mostafizur said taking into consideration the inflation, the government could give dearness allowance to the staffs.
However, sources say the commission recommended tw0 percent increment on salaries of staffs if inflation is 12 percent. The commission also recommended no increment if inflation is 10 percent or below, the sources added.
According to a Pay Commission source, the recommended highest salary of Tk 45,000 is 96 percent higher than the existing highest salary. At present the highest salary is Tk 23,000.
However, if a staff does not pay the income tax, his or her highest salary would be Tk 42,000.
The lowest recommended basic salary, Tk 4,000, is a 66 percent increase from the existing Tk 2,400.
Sources said among the 20 scales, the 10 highest scales would get over 80 percent hike. The lowest 10 scales would get increases of up to 70 percent over the existing salaries.
Officials say the commission report recommended that government staffs with two children would get Tk 100 per child children’s education allowance. Staffs having more then two children would not qualify for the allowance.
The Pay Commission recommended extending retirement age of government staff to 60 years from the existing 57 years.
However, the commission did not make any recommendation for increasing house rent and other benefits offered to government staffs.
S; The Daily Star
