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BEZA to launch one-stop service centre on Sept 29


Bangladeshpost
Published : 11 Sep 2019 07:51 PM | Updated : 06 Sep 2020 11:22 AM

Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) is set to launch its ‘One Stop Service (OSS) Centre’ formally on September 29 at the Sonargaon hotel in the city for providing all the necessary services to the investors of the economic zones in a single window, reports BSS.

Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman is expected to attend the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest while BEZA Executive Chairman Paban Chowdhury will be in the chair.

Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman, Principal Coordinator (SDG Affairs) of the Prime Minister’s Office Md Abul Kalam Azad, Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office Sajjadul Hassan, Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Hiroyuki Yamatani, President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Sheikh Fazle Fahim, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Bangladesh Hitoshi Hirata and Chairman of the Sonali Bank Limited Ziaul Hasan Siddique will attend the ceremony as special guests.

BEZA Executive Member (Additional Secretary) Mohammed Ayub will deliver the welcome address while BEZA Chief Law Officer Dr Malay Choudhury will deliver the vote of thanks.

Talking to BSS, Mohammed Ayub said BEZA has already started to provide most of the services through OSS centre and the centre will be formally inaugurated on the day since all preparations have been taken in this regard. Under the OSS centre, he said, investors in the economic zones will get all sorts of services in a single window to start their business within a short time.

He said the potential investors would get all other necessary permissions, including permissions of various utility services like power, gas, water and telephone from the centre, for starting a business here.

A senior official of BEZA informed that BEZA is likely to sign four Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with NBR, Department of Environment (DOE), Registrar of Joint Stock Companies And Firms (RJSC) and Sonali Bank Limited for providing their services through online under the OSS centre. Earlier, Dr Malay Choudhury informed that BEZA has selected a total of 107 services under OSS centre. Out of the services, BEZA is providing 52 services directly while the other 55 are being provided through the assistance of different ministries or departments, he added. Describing the one-stop service as a web-based one, Malay Choudhury, also a joint secretary, said previously investors had to apply physically and go door-to-door to meet all service providers to get permissions for getting utility connections and other services.

“BEZA will provide all the services online. Now, the authority is providing 11 services online while the rest of the services manually,” he added. The services are project clearance, land requisition, import permit, export permit, visa recommendation, visa assistance, work permit, local sales permit, local purchase permit, sample import permit and sample export permit.

Malay Choudhury informed that BEZA is going to provide more three services online soon.

The upcoming three services are trade license, Commercial Operation Certificate (COC) and project clearance amendment. The BEZA’s chief law officer hoped that BEZA’s all 52 services will be available online within June, 2020.

He said necessary software for the OSS centre is being developed with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under the ‘Project for Promoting Investment and Enhancing Industrial Competitiveness in Bangladesh’.

“Bangladesh will enter into a new era by introduction of the ‘One Stop Service’ so that the country can make a positive change in the ‘Ease of Doing Business’,” he added.

Under the Bangladesh Economic Zones Act 2010, BEZA has been established to set up Economic Zones (EZs) in the country’s potential areas.

BEZA is implementing a plan to establish 100 EZs by 2030 on 75,000 acres of land to fetch more investment as well as create employment for one crore people and increasing export earnings.