Speakers at a meeting insisted on simplifying the policy framework for the logistics sector to achieve national growth target, strengthen capacity in trade and investment in a bid to reducing the cost of business.
They said Bangladesh should not lag behind while other South and Southeast Asian countries are taking the lead in extending logistics support and already have set out policies and strategies.
The deliberations were made in the 4th Logistics Infrastructure Development Working Committee (LIDWC), held on Monday at the Prime Minister’s Office.
The meeting was co-chaired by Mohammad Salahuddin, Secretary PMO, and Abul Kasem Khan, Former Chairperson of BUILD.
Nihad Kabir, Chairperson of BUILD addressed the meeting while BUILD CEO Ara Begum presented committee’s comprehensive plan of activities for the next year 2023-24.
The Committee will work extensively in coordination with the National Logistics Development Coordination Committee (NLDCC) formed in the PMO and its five sub-committees.
The committee stressed reducing the costs of logistics and setting out plan rightly, and acting accordingly so that costs can be reduced gradually. LIDWC will extend all possible assistance to NLDCC andits sub-committees to ensure a holistic logistics sector. Development partnersmay come forward to provide financial support toimplementthe workplan of LIDWC where BUILD can coordinate with other relevant agencies.
It was decided that BUILD will share the workshop (Formulating National Logistics Industry Development Policy for Bangladesh: Experience from Global Good Practices held in November 2022) outcomes in the upcoming 3rd NLDCC meeting.
Moreover, LIDWC will form a structured and strong network among the stakeholders to gather inputs from private to private and private to government through consultations, develop trade logistics tool kit and logistics index formulation, identification of demand and priority selection of private sector, coordination among trade logistics and trade facilitation initiatives, facilitate the NLDCC, sub-committees, and PMO through research, technical and secretarial support as a dialogue platform.
Representatives of the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Industries, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Rail, Road Transport and Highway Division, Bridge Division, Bangladesh Bank, BIDA, BEZA, DCCI, CCCI, BAFFA, BSCMS, IFC also spoke on the occasion among others.
