Saturday, May 04, 2024
President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Md Jashim Uddin took charge as the president of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the apex trade body of the South Asian region, at the Hotel Intercontinental in Dhaka on Thursday.
He will be serving as the SAARC Chamber president in 2023–24.
The new president said that South Asia with its diversified resources and skilled workforce has tremendous potential to be the fastest-growing exporting region in the world.
“As we begin this new tenure, our region is experiencing rapid economic growth, but we must also confront a range of complex issues and barriers to trade that limits cross-border regional trade,” he said.
The Intra-trade among SAARC countries continues to be low ranging between 5-7 per cent of total trade. In addition, this is declining every year, he said.
“On the other hand, we are seeing increased integration in other regional blocks. Intra-regional trade is over 40 per cent in NAFTA, 68 per cent in EU, 27 per cent in ASEAN. Their economic integration is directly tied to their GDP per capita, higher productivity and, lower poverty and unemployment,” he added.
“It is imperative for us to draw lessons from the successes achieved by other regional agreements, and channel their experiences of regional identity and solidarity into our efforts to propel SAARC towards new heights,” he said.
It is the responsibility of the SAARC leaders to find innovative and sustainable solutions to these challenges, and to work together to create a brighter future for the people of the region, he opined.
The priority will be given to enhance collaboration on sectors with high growth potential such as information technology, manufacturing, energy, tourism, and agribusiness that derive tangible results, he added.
Jashim Uddin joined the Board of Bengal Group of Industries as director in 1983 while studying commerce at the Dhaka University.
He is the chairman of Bengal Commercial Bank Limited, vice-chairman of the Bengal Group of Industries and Bengal Media Corporation.
He is also the president of the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association.
