Exports grow 40pc in nine months

Bangladesh has achieved 40 percent export growth in the last nine months of current fiscal year, said a senior government official yesterday.

The growth was only 10 percent in 2009-10 due to the global recession, added Monoj Kumar Roy, joint secretary of the commerce ministry. “The credit goes to business organisations and their leaders to overcome the situation very quickly.”

Roy addressed a seminar on "Effective Participation in International Trade Fairs" at the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) in Chittagong.

“BGMEA, BKMEA, FBCCI and other business organisations, besides their role in solving business-related problems in the country, have helped expand markets abroad.”

Roy hoped the export growth rate will increase by the year. He opined business leaders can be valuable persons in the advancement of export growth with their effective participation in international trade fairs.

The only role the government has in the present economic system is that of a facilitator.

"We depend on the private sector for our business," he said adding that the private sector is matured now.

The government has already taken a lot of steps to remove the hindrances to business, he said.

Abdul Mayeen, regional manager of EPB for Chittagong, said they have set a target of $3.5 billion in export earnings in fiscal 2010-11. Mayeen hoped EPB will exceed the target in the rest of the three months of current fiscal year.

Salahuddin Mahmud, director for policy and planning of EPB, presented the keynote paper in the seminar.

Mahmud stated different techniques for businessmen on how to make their participation effective in international trade fairs.

He said international fairs help the participators build a good communication channel with the buyers.

He said Bangladesh received export orders worth $352.26 million in 2009-10.