The government has taken a move to create a new platform to provide all investment-related services to entrepreneurs planning to set up new factories and commercial establishments in the country.
The decision has been taken recently at the first meeting of a 24-member committee formed to prevent accidents and ensure safe working environment in factories and commercial establishments.
"Entrepreneurs will get all services from this platform without going to different government departments. It will be a one-stop service providing platform. All investment-related services, including business registration, fees and utility facilities, will be available on this platform," said a member of the committee.
He also said entrepreneurs face problems in launching fresh commercial ventures in the country as they need to go to different ministries like commerce, finance, energy and power for getting different services including permission.
But once the platform will be set up, traders will be able to obtain all services from one place, he added. On July 15 this year, the government formed the 24-member committee with Salman F Rahman, private industry and investment adviser to the Prime Minister, as its chairman.
Sources said a sub-committee headed by Sirajul Islam, executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), was formed in the meeting. The committee will submit its report within the next three months outlining the working out a way for traders to get all the services together using a single platform without having to go to different government departments.
The sources said factory inspections will begin in the next four weeks to see whether there are faults in the existing factories or whether there are fire extinguishers in the factories, whether they are effective or not, and whether the infrastructure is in order.
As per the government's instructions, the committee will monitor the activities of the agencies related to factory safety, take action by reviewing laws or rules on industrial structures and monitor the work to follow these laws and rules.
The new committee will also work to ensure training of workers and members of factory management to prevent fire and other accidents, and make recommendations to the government.
The members of the committee include Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, several state ministers, secretaries, MPs and mayors, BIDA executive chairman, the inspector general of police, the director general of Fire Service and Civil Defense, the inspector general of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, and the chiefs of FBCCI and BGMEA.