Bangladesh earned $ 30.66 billion in the outgoing fiscal year till May from exports, 8.95 per cent up from the previous fiscal year, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told the House Monday in reply to a scripted query from treasury bench member Nizam Uddin Hazari (Feni-2), reports BSS. On another question from Begum Washika Ayesha Khan (women seat-31), he said that readymade garment products worth $ 23,762.95 million were exported during the same period. Bangladesh earned $ 25,491.40 million in the last fiscal year (2014-15) by exporting RMG products, he added. Tofail said the government has undertaken various measures to boost the exports of RMG goods. “A balanced export and import policy has been framed for 2015-2018 to uphold the trend of RMG export growth, while programmes have been taken to explore, expand and consolidate new markets for exports,” he said. The Commerce Minister said necessary marketing mission teams are being sent abroad and also single-country textile and RMG products fairs are being arranged in different countries for expanding and strengthening the RMG export markets. Responding to another written question from Awami League lawmaker M Abdul Latif (Chittagong-11), the commerce minister said the country fetched $ 87.37 million in the outgoing fiscal till April by exporting vegetables. “The government has taken various steps to raise the volume of export of vegetables,” he said. The measures, he added, include encouraging contract farming for producingexportable vegetables and botanical products, allocation of khash lands to the exporters for producing vegetables and encouraging them in setting up export villages. Tofail Ahmed said production of modern and scientific packaging for exporting vegetables is being encouraged and initiatives have been undertaken to provide loans at low interest for construction of cold storages to preserve botanicalexport products. “Training is being given to the vegetable producers and exporters and a move is underway to export all types of infection-free agri- products,” he said. The minister said an initiative has been undertaken to establish a Central Warehouse and a Packing Centre by following “cool chain system” and necessary arrangements have been made to fulfill the “phyto sanitry requirement” of the importing countries. The Commerce Minister said necessary marketing mission teams are being sent abroad and also single-country textile and RMG products fairs are being arranged in different countries for expanding and strengthening the RMG export markets. Responding to another written question from Awami League lawmaker M Abdul Latif (Chittagong-11), the commerce minister said the country fetched $ 87.37 million in the outgoing fiscal till April by exporting vegetables. “The government has taken various steps to raise the volume of export of vegetables,” he said. The measures, he added, include encouraging contract farming for producingexportable vegetables and botanical products, allocation of khash lands to the exporters for producing vegetables and encouraging them in setting up export villages. Tofail Ahmed said production of modern and scientific packaging for exporting vegetables is being encouraged and initiatives have been undertaken to provide loans at low interest for construction of cold storages to preserve botanicalexport products. “Training is being given to the vegetable producers and exporters and a move is underway to export all types of infection-free agri- products,” he said. The minister said an initiative has been undertaken to establish a Central Warehouse and a Packing Centre by following “cool chain system” and necessary arrangements have been made to fulfill the “phyto sanitry requirement” of the importing countries.
