The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) has set the export target at US$ 33.5 billion for fiscal year 2015-16, reports BSS. Announcing the export target after a meeting here today, commerce minister Tofail Ahmed said the export target has been set with a growth of 7.38 percent. “The export target is realistic and achievable,” said the minister. He said the export target for the fiscal year 2014-15 was not achieved despite a rise in the volume of export because prices of goods came down in the international market. Besides, BNP-led alliance’s 92- day hartal-blockade severely affected export activities, he added. Tofail Ahmed chaired the meeting while commerce secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamun, EPB Vice-Chairman Shubhashis Bose, FBCCI Vice-President Mahbubul Alam, Frozen Food Manufacturers and Exporters Association President SM Amzad Hossain, among others, attended it. The commerce minister said Bangladesh earned US$31.20 billion in the FY15 against the target of US$33.2 billion. He said the government has taken steps to expand export market side by side with increasing the number of export products under the 6th Five Year Plan. The government has planned to give cash incentive to the shipbuilding, leather and leather goods, jute and jute products and medicine exports. With the assistance of China the government has been constructing a garment industrial park on a 492-acre of land at Baushia in Munshiganj, he said and assured that the government would ensure gas and electricity for the businesspeople.
