Pay production cost for smooth gas-power supply

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked the businesspeople and industrialists to pay at least the cost of generation and procurement of electricity and gas if they want to avail uninterrupted supply of energy, report agencies.

“If you want uninterrupted electricity and gas, then you have to pay the production cost or procurement cost at least. How long we will provide subsidy?” she said while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the 27th edition of ‘Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF)-2023’.

The Commerce Ministry and the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) organised the month-long trade fair at Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre at Purbachal on the outskirts of capital Dhaka, reports UNB.

Hasina said that the government can’t provide huge subsidy on electricity and gas for an indefinite period that comes from the pockets of the mass people.

“We cannot give such a huge amount of public money as subsidy, so businessmen and industrialists have to pay attention to this matter,” she added.

The prime minister also laid emphasis on expansion of the domestic market and increasing the purchasing power of people to make the local industry more effective, reports BSS.

“Alongside the exports, we have to put concentration on expansion of the domestic market and increasing the purchasing power of people. It will make our industry more effective and production will be boosted,” she added.

She said today’s diplomacy is not political; rather it will be economic diplomacy.

“I’ve directed all the embassies and foreign missions to explore the products’ demand abroad and to find out that what types of products we can export there or from where we can bring investment.”

She said analysing the demand and necessity of different countries, “we will produce products in our country and then we will export those to those countries”.

All the embassies and foreign ministries have been asked to work to this end, she said, adding, “We will boost our trade in this way.”

At the programme, the PM declared jute and jute products as the Product of the Year 2023.

Saying that once jute was called the golden fibre of the country, she mentioned that the demand for jute will never end and the jute products are environment-friendly.

“We have been able to invent the jute genome, so we can produce so many products,” she said, adding that jute is an all-purpose crop and product and every part of it from leaves to sticks can be used.

“So, we have to give importance to jute. We have opened up our public jute mills and anyone can take lease one of these mills,” she said.

In this regard, she said, the lessee can operate these mills directly or induct modern technology to produce diversified items. “You can do your marketing across the globe as the demand for the environment-friendly products is increasing day by day. You have to take that opportunity.”

The prime minister said that the government will introduce 5G for the 100 economic zones across the country. “We have launched 4G service and will surely introduce 5G service, but this will be done for the 100 economic zones as this service (5G) is not required for all areas. This is applicable for the economic zones.”

Saying that the government is taking steps towards that, she also asked all concerned to put emphasis on IT and IT-enabled services.

“Our export items are limited, we are dependent on very few export items, this have to be diversified, I am repeatedly saying that the more we will be able to diversify our products, the more we will find new markets, the more we will be able to expand our business and boost incomes.”

Hasina put emphasis on establishing food processing industries to tap the immense potential of these items around the world. “The demand for food items will not shrink, it will always increase.”

Later, she visited various pavilions and stalls.

A documentary on the country’s overall economic development was screened at the event. At the function, a commemorative book on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman titled “Ami Tomaderi Lok” (I Am Your Man) was handed over to the prime minister.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi , Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh, President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Md. Jashim Uddin and EPB Vice Chairman AHM Ahsan also spoke at the programme.

Some 17 organisations from 10 countries, including Singapore, Indonesia, Korea and India alongside the local firms and companies are taking part in the fair that will remain open every day from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm while it will remain open till 10:00 pm during holidays.