In a press conference held at the BASIS Auditorium in Dhaka, five leading ICT trade associations of Bangladesh jointly called for necessary amendments and revisions to the recently passed Agency to Innovate (A2i) Bill 2023. The associations involved in organizing the press conference were BASIS, BCS, BACCO, ISPAB, and e-CAB.
The conference was attended by representatives from over a hundred IT industries, executive members of the trade associations, and prominent industry leaders.During the press conference, the trade associations expressed their appreciation for the government's efforts in building a Digital Bangladesh through collaboration between the public and private sectors. They commended the government's support in strengthening private accounts, which aligns with the Prime Minister's vision of a Smart Bangladesh by 2041.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology conducted a thorough review of the A2i Bill 2023 during its 12th meeting. After deliberations, the committee members reached a unanimous agreement on three crucial matters. Firstly, they proposed adequate representation of all IT trade associations in the A2i Executive Committee. Secondly, they recommended prohibiting A2i from engaging in joint or partnership transactions. Lastly, they suggested that A2i should not be authorized to form a company.
However, upon examining the A2i Bill 2023, it was found that while some of the proposed amendments were taken into account, the provision granting A2i the authority to establish companies (Section 21) remained intact.
The trade associations emphasized the government's commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment rather than engaging in direct business activities.
BASIS President Russell T. Ahmed called for the complete revocation of the provision granting A2i the authority to form companies, stating that it contradicts the interests of the industry. He urged the reprinting of the bill with necessary amendments to resolve conflicts in other clauses. BACCO President Wahid Sharif stressed the importance of amending the bill for the progress of Bangladesh towards becoming a Smart Nation.
Representatives from ISPAB appreciated the consideration of trade organizations' input on the A2i Bill and highlighted the importance of private sector involvement in the A2i project. They thanked the State Minister of ICT Division for his support and stated that the approved A2i Bill 2023 enables government assistance to the private sector without direct involvement in business activities.
The ICT associations expressed their hope that the State Minister and ICT advisor will promptly address their requests for amendments, emphasizing the need to strengthen collaboration between the government and the private sector for driving digital transformation and enhancing citizens' quality of life.
Overall, the ICT associations have called for revisions to the A2i Bill 2023 to ensure the alignment of the legislation with the industry's interests and the vision of a Smart Bangladesh.
