Due to world-wide coronavirus pandemic, businesses, trade, commerce, import, export, manufacturing as well as overall economic activities become stand still in Bangladesh. At present, 76 BSCIC industrial areas in Bangladesh remain closed due to coronavirus pandemic situation.
On the said backdrop, the Senior Vice President of Bangladesh BSCIC Industry Owners’ Association, President of Dhaka Shilpo Nagori Shilpo Malik Samity (BSCIC, Keranigonj) and former Vice President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) Hossain A Sikder said that around 5,90,620 skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled people are being employed in all BSCIC industrial area across the country.
He said around BDT 27,689 crore are invested by the industry owners of all BSCIC areas across the country. Due to country-wide lockdown amid global Coronavirus pandemic, all the manufacturing units of all BSCIC industrial area are shut which puts this huge investment in great risk.
Industries under BSCIC areas are mainly dependent on local market chain. But due to severe shortages of raw materials, marketing, manufacturing, supply chain management and export and import are seriously being hampered now. If these industries remain shut for a long time, it will be difficult for the industry owners to pay salaries and bonus to the workers and staff ahead of holy Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh BSCIC Industry Owners’ Association felicitates and congratulates the Honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina for declaring taka 72,750 crore stimulus package to address the possible adverse impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the country’s economy.
Besides, the association also urges the government to waive commercial utility bill of water for the next 6 months. It also requests the government to allow industry owners to pay their electricity and gas bill of each month through three equal installments in the next six months.
Each plot under BSCIC industrial area has to pay a fixed service charge which the association wants to be waived for the next 1 year. Hossain A Sikder also requests to intermit installments of industrial plots for a year considering the situation. He also urges upon the NBR to allow BSCIC industry owners to submit their income tax and VAT return of this fiscal through three equal adjustable installments by the next three years without penalty.
Moreover, he requests to waive interest of loan taken by the new industry installers and BMRE (Balancing, Modernization, Rehabilitation and Expansion) industrial units of BSCIC area for the next 6 months.
He also urges to give especial tax and duty rebate to the importers of raw materials, capital machineries, and packaging appliances of BSCIC industrial area. He also requests the government to take long term and permanent measures for the industry workers’ health safety under the national social safety net programme.
Hossain A Sikder said small and cottage industries in all the BSCIC areas are contributing a lot in our economy. In order to keep the economic growth momentum, we have no alternative but to safeguard our small and cottage industries.
We hope government will take necessary measures to protect local market, import-substitute manufacturing, export competitiveness, employment and backward linkage of small and cottage industry from the ongoing pandemic, Hossain A Sikder said.
