Speakers at a seminar on Tuesday observed that facilitating trade will lower the cost of doing business by 16.5 percent, achieve $4 billion additional annual export earnings and attract 3 percent more FDI and above all boost GDP to 8 percent by the year 2021. Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) organized the seminar on Trade Facilitation: opportunities and challenges for sustainable growth at DCCI auditorium in Dhaka. Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr. Mashiur Rahman was present at the seminar as the chief guest while Chairman of NBR Md. Nojibur Rahman was present as special guest. DCCI President Hossain Khaled chaired the seminar. While addressing, Dr. Mashiur Rahman said trade facilitation measures should be pro-industry and pro-investment instead of revenue oriented. He urged the bureaucrats to be more efficient and technically sound to keep pace with the development goals of the government. “We should increase our export to reduce trade gap with other countries. We have to explore new export markets and diversify products and also to increase the domestic production for protection of the domestic industry. The government has given more importance on infrastructure. The country has now attained tremendous development”, he said. Hossain Khaled said that trade plays the fundamental role in industrialisation, product diversification, raising production capacity and ensure inclusive development in the country.
