Thursday, April 25, 2024
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Thursday said that the existing situation over the availability of energy sources such as gas in the industries would be improved in January.
"It's a temporary problem. Hopefully, the situation will be improved in January," Tipu Munshi said at the inaugural session of the 3rd edition of the three-day Ceramic EXPO Bangladesh-2022 held at the International Convention City Bashundhara in the capital.
Gas crisis has become evident in the country due to the global situation for which production in the industries has also been hampered to some extent, the minister said at the expo organised by the Bangladesh Ceramic Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BCMEA).
He also mentioned he would convene a meeting soon to discuss and thus resolve the problems that the industries and businesses are now facing. Businessmen across the board will be invited to that meeting.
The purpose of that meeting would be to identify the problems and thus place those before the Prime Minister for further action. The government would work sincerely to address those issues, he added.
Tipu Munshi mentioned that the Prime Minister of her own has taken initiatives to resolve the existing problems being faced by the business community, hoping those problems would be resolved soon.
Terming the ceramic industry as a potential sector of Bangladesh, he said that the locally produced ceramic items met around 85 per cent of the domestic demand while the locally produced ceramic items are being exported to some 50 countries.
"Hopefully, the export from ceramic items will cross $1 billion soon," he added.
The commerce minister also assured that necessary support would be provided to the businessmen so that they could boost the production and export of ceramic items.
BCMEA President Sirajul Islam Molla said that more than 70 industries in the ceramic sector are in operation in the country producing ceramic, tableware, tiles and sanitary items while the annual sale of ceramic items in the local market reaches around Tk 8,000 crore.
He informed that over the last 10 years, the production in the ceramic sector has increased by 200 per cent while the investment has increased by 20 per cent.
Molla also said this sector has a local investment of around Tk 15,000 crore.
FBCCI senior vice president Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu and BCMEA secretary general Irfan Uddin spoke, among others, on the occasion.
A total of 150 brands representing some 120 industries from 20 countries including Bangladesh are taking part in this expo, which is also regarded as the largest ceramic expo in Asia.
The expo will remain open for visitors every day from 10am to 7pm.
