Export earnings to cross $80B by 2024, hopes Tipu

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi today hoped that the country's export earnings would cross $80 billion by 2024.

"We've earlier set an export earnings target of $51 billion in this fiscal year (FY22). Now, we're hoping that this figure would reach $60 billion in this year. I'm hopeful that the export earnings would cross $80 billion by 2024," he said.

The Commerce Minister said this while inaugurating 50 types of online services by the Office of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports as the chief guest, marking 50 years of the country's independence, held at the Shaheed Sheikh Kamal auditorium at NSC Tower in the capital.

Presided over by Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Tapan Kanti Ghosh, President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Md Jashim Uddin, Bangladesh Competition Commission Chairperson Md Mofizul Islam and Chief Controller Office of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports Sheikh Rafiqul Islam, among others, also spoke on the occasion.

Alleging that a vested quarter has been making negative criticisms over the country's development march, Tipu said that the situation is being changed every now and then while the country is moving towards development.

"The big example of this is that the Office of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports is now providing cent percent digital services. Some 52 services including that of license are being available through online," he said adding that no one would require coming to this office in future to receive services.

Citing the findings of a recent survey conducted by JETRO, the commerce minister informed that some 88% Japanese businesses now want to do business in Bangladesh while this has been possible since the country has been changed. He informed that Japan also wants to strike a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Bangladesh.

Directing the officials and employees of the Office of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports to render instant services digitally with utmost honesty, Tipu said, "We're now moving towards building smart Bangladesh. We'll have to make all necessary arrangements so that people need not to come to office for taking services."

Referring to the inauguration of Padma Bridge on 25 June, the Commerce Minister said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had earlier taken the challenge of building this mega structure with own financing. Through the inauguration, the courage and strength of Bangladesh will be projected afresh, he added.

The senior secretary of the Commerce Ministry said that from now on no services would be provided offline from the Office of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports as businessmen would be able to avail all services online.

Sheikh Rafikul Islam, chief controller of the Office of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports, said that businessmen are now getting all related services including certificates of imports and exports online from this office.

"In such case, there is no need to submit hard copy by the service seeker. A service seeker will need to file an Online Licensing Module (OLM) account against his or her organisation and thus, would be able to avail desired services through that account. No third party will be able to interfere in the process."