The government has decided to send a business delegation to Iran and Turkey in an aim to boost export of jute and jute goods to the countries. Led by textile and jute ministry officials, the delegation will include representatives from jute and jute goods exporters. In a meeting on export expansion the commerce ministry has also decided to explore export potentiality of jute and jute goods to the coffee, cashew nut and cocoa producing countries like Ghana and Nigeria. The meeting also decided to introduce on arrival visa for the citizens of African countries as there was no foreign missions of Bangladesh in the African countries and the businesses from Ghana and Nigeria faced visa-related problems in Bangladesh. ‘A delegation will visit Iran and Turkey within short time as there is huge export potential in the markets,’ commerce secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamoon told reporters on Sunday. He said that the decision on export expansion was sent to the textile and jute ministry for feedback. According to commerce ministry sources, in a meeting on export expansion in September Export Promotion Bureau vice-chairman Shubhashish Bose proposed to send a delegation comprised of representatives from jute and jute goods exporters to Iran and Turkey. He also proposed to explore export potential in the African countries arguing that jute sacks were needed to pack coffee, cashew nut and cocoa in the region. Joint secretary to the textile and jute ministry Matiur Rahman told New Age that upon receiving the decision of the commerce ministry it had sought opinions from the stake holders. ‘After getting feedback from the Bangladesh Jute Mills Association, Jute Diversification Promotion Centre and Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporations the next course of action over the country visit will be determined,’ he said. Matiur also said that the foreign ministry would make a decision on the on arrival visa for the citizens of Nigeria and Ghana. According to Export Promotion Bureau data, out of $49.83 million export earnings from Iran, $48.33 million came from jute and jute goods while $205.21 million came from export of the same items out of $720.88 million from Turkey in the financial year 2014-15.
