Citing Bangladesh as a profitable destination for foreign investment, Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman on Thursday said the government is working to resolve policy problems and stop harassment of businesspeople by taxmen.
He made the remarks while speaking at a press conference at the Commonwealth Trade & Investment Forum in the conference room of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) in the capital.
Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) in partnership with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ZI Foundation will organise the first-ever Commonwealth Trade & Investment Forum which will be held on 13th and 14th September 2023 in Dhaka.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the forum on Wednesday at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka and hand over “Commonwealth-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Green Investment Award.”
Salman said, “Some businessmen claim that they are harassed by taxmen. We agree with it. But we are reforming the tax system. All things will be done online. All problems will be reduced gradually.”
He added that they have to widen tax net as honest taxpayers feel pressure. Those who pay taxes, they pay again. But those who evade taxes, they evade.
“Those who invest in Bangladesh, they get good return from here. Businessmen are not concerned now though it is an election year,” he replied to questions from journalists.
Salman said many foreign investors want to invest in Bangladesh due to political stability. “If we get more FDI, our reserves would go up as well. We want to enhance our networking and expand our trade through commonwealth forum. It will provide tremendous opportunity to increase trade and investment in Bangladesh.”
A total of 12 sessions of CTIF will be held at Intercontinental Hotel, Dhaka and attended by top representatives of public and private sectors from Bangladesh and various Commonwealth member countries.
To date, 250 foreign participants registered to attend the programme. The number of participants will increase to 300 soon. Thirteen foreign ministers and members of parliament will participate in this event.
Lokman Hossain Miah, Executive Chairman (Senior Secretary), Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Zillur Hussain, Strategic Advisor, Bangladesh, CWEIC, among others, were present at the press conference.
