PM urges Japanese entrepreneurs to explore Bangladesh

Live Correspondent: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called upon the Japanese businessmen to explore new areas of investment in export oriented sectors in Bangladesh by exploiting full potential of business and trade relations between the two countries.

“We would, however, like to see diversification in our export basket. I would call upon you (Japanese business people) to explore new areas of investment in export oriented sectors in Bangladesh,” she told a Bangladesh-Japan Business Forum roundtable with CEOs of Japanese enterprises being the participants at a city hotel this morning.

“We welcomed the investment of 1.4 billion dollars made by Japan Tobacco last year in Bangladesh. We wish to see more such investment from Japan,” she continued. Mentioning the private sector as the main engine of Bangladesh’s economy, she said, “We attach top priority to entrepreneurship development and private investments, both domestic and foreign.”

She added: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpanagar in Chattogram has plenty of land for establishment of Economic Zones under G2G basis and Public Private Partnership model. “We have also taken Moheshkhali-Matarbari Integrated Infrastructure Development Initiative (MIDI) for Logistic hub, Power and Energy hub and Water front Industry hub. Japan may support these initiatives,” she continued.

Highlighting the potential of ready-made garment (RMG), information communication and software industry, agro-based products, jute goods, home appliances, light engineering products, leather goods and pharmaceuticals products, the premier sought more Japanese investment in these sectors.

“Successes of our ready-made garment sector are globally known. We are the 2nd largest readymade garment exporter in the world after China. Apparel is our number one export product in Japan, and in 2018, it achieved the highest growth, by almost 33.5% in volume, surpassing all other competitors,” she said.

She also said that software is another promising industry in Bangladesh as yet while among 800 Software and IT companies of Bangladesh, over 150 are specialized in serving overseas’ clients. In this context, she said, “More than 20,000 Bangladeshi IT professionals are working in various reputed IT companies all over the world, including in Microsoft, Intel, IBM, Oracle and Cisco. I have been told that ITES products appear to have promising prospects in the huge Japanese IT market.”

Chairperson of Japan Bangladesh Committee for Commercial and Economic Cooperation (JBCCEC) teruo Asada, JICA executive senior vice president Kazuhiko Koshikawa, JETRO president Yasushi Akahoshi, Sumitomo Corporation president and CEO Masayuki Hyodo, Mitsui and Co Ltd executive vice president Shinsuke Fuji, Sojitz Corporation Senior Managing executive officer Ryutaro Hirai, Mitsubishi Motors vice president Ryujiro Kobashi, Honda Motor Co Ltd managing officer Noriaki Abe and Maruhisa Co Ltd president Kiminobu Hiraishi also spoke.

 

Dhaka, 29 May (campuslive24.com)//MIH

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