Updated on : 13-03-2016

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reassured all the local and foreign investors of her government's highest level of commitment to quickly facilitate their pragmatic proposals and simplification of investment procedure so that they can make the best use of their money.

After inaugurating the two-day Bangladesh Investment and Policy Summit 2016 at a city hotel, she also said the government is going to establish 'Bangladesh Development Authority' to facilitate their business.

Mentioning that security and profitability of investment are guaranteed in Bangladesh, the Prime Minister repeated the poets' verse, "You will never find another country like this anywhere else ...".

Board of Investment (BoI), Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD) and Prime Minister's Office (PMO) have jointly organised the Bangladesh Investment and Policy Summit.

Sheikh Hasina said this is the most opportune moment to show the dynamic role of investors and urged them to be part of Bangladesh's historic growth and development. "All relevant forces have fallen into place nicely."

"This Summit will give you the most appropriate platform to know Bangladesh's investment trend, policies and potential more concretely and systematically - for seeing is believing," she told the investors.

She said Public Private Partnership (PPP) in infrastructure investment offers a new window of opportunity for investors while the Existing Export Processing Zones (EPZs), and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are being expanded and developed for competitive manufacturing for local and global markets.

The Prime Minister said her government is going to establish Bangladesh Development Authority for the simplification of investment procedure. "We're planning to establish 100 Economic zones across the country. More than thirty sites have already been selected for special economic zones and foundations stones of 10 zones will be laid next month."

Sheikh Hasina said overcoming all odds, Bangladesh economy has been progressing steadily for the last seven years with remarkable growth and transformation, despite volatilities in many external markets and very sluggish growth in the developed countries.

We achieved 6.51 percent GDP growth in the last financial year. During the previous five years, our average GDP growth was 6.2 percent. We've been working to achieve 7 percent GDP this year. The indication we after passing half of the financial year, we're hopeful of achieving 7 percent growth," she added.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Chief Minister of Meghalaya Dr Mukul Sangma, South Asia Region CEO of Axiata Limited Dr Hans Wijayasuriya, Chairman of Adani Group Gautam Adani, Director of the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group Sujoy Bose and FBCCI President Abdul Matlub Ahmed spoke at the inaugural session of the Summit.

(Source: The Daily Star)