New Zealand is ready to share its experience with Dhaka to make a favourable business environment in Bangladesh for attracting more foreign investment. Joanna Mary Kempkers, non-resident High Commissioner of New Zealand to Bangladesh, said this while paying a farewell courtesy call on Foreign Minister Abdul Momen at his office on Tuesday.
During the meeting, they discussed various bilateral issues including trade and investment as well as ongoing Rohingya crisis. Foreign Minister said that since 2009, Bangladesh’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 188 percent and thereby Bangladesh recorded the highest economic growth in the list of the 26 countries in the last 10 years according to the Spectator Index. High Commissioner Joanna highly praised the socio economic development of Bangladesh in recent years with significant reduction of maternal and child mortality rates, poverty alleviation, and sustained high economic growth.
She expressed keen interest of New Zealand to engage more with Bangladesh economically. Foreign Minister Momen requested High Commissioner to help reduce the trade gap between Bangladesh and New Zealand. High Commissioner Joanna said New Zealand is expecting a business delegation from Bangladesh in November this year where trade and investment opportunities between the two countries will be further explored.
High Commissioner expressed high respect for the government of Bangladesh for generously accepting and protecting the displaced people. She said that New Zealand has provided 18 million dollar for humanitarian assistance to the displaced people and believes that solution to their crisis lies in their early repatriation. New Zealand is ranked top among 190 economies in the ease of doing business.
