The government is set to approve a project for building infrastructure for the proposed Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone (CEIZ) at Anwara in Chittagong this week, officials said. The zone will be built under the Chinese government soft loan of US $280.71 million, they added. To this effect, the cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) will approve the project proposal in its meeting on Wednesday. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) appointed the China Harbour and Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) on December 4, 2014 for building the CEIZ. Besides, a Special Purpose Company (SPC) will also be formed in order to supervise construction of the economic zone. The Bangladesh Export Zones Authority (BEZA) has set a target to build 100 economic zones under public-private arrangement by 2030 as per the Seventh Five Year Plan and achieving the Vision 2021 of the government. The special economic zones (SEZs) will be built on 75,000 acres of land that will create jobs for 10 million people. The SEZs will have the capacity to produce products and services worth $40 billion, according to BEZA sources. As per the Bangladesh Economic Zones Act, 2010, the government has taken the initiative for building economic zones for investors of different countries under government-to- government (G2G) arrangement. During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to China, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 9, 2014 for creating SEZ exclusively for Chinese entrepreneurs. About 782.69 acres of land at Anwara upazila in Chittagong have already been acquired (for main economic zone and two connecting roads) for gearing up setting up of the zone. Earlier, the BEZA signed a MoU with the CEIZ on June 16, 2016. During the Chinese president’s visit to Bangladesh on October 14 last year, the two countries exchanged an ‘agreed term’ to facilitate the Chinese economic zone project. Apart from the CEIZ, building of another 20 special economic zones (SEZs) will be completed by 2018 as about 40 per cent work in these zones have been completed so far, an official of the BEZA told the FE. The BEZA official said construction work was carried out separately by the government and the private sector in 20 such zones. The SEZs, the construction work of which has been overseen by the private sector, are two at Mongla in Bagerhat, three at Mirershorai in Chittagong, two at Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar, one at Sonargaon in Narayanganj and two at Gomati of Munshiganj and one at Moulvibazar. The construction work on 10 SEZs has been going on under the supervision of the government. Besides, India will develop two SEZs at Mongla of Khulna and Bheramara of Kushtia. To attract investment, the country needs to build more SEZs with uninterrupted supplies of gas, power and water. Twenty-two more private companies have applied to the BEZA for developing such economic zones. About land price at the SEZs, the BEZA official said the government is committed to providing lands to the entrepreneurs at SEZs at the cheapest possible rates. Local private entrepreneurs have long demanded lands at reasonable prices. They have been calling upon the government to provide uninterrupted supplies of gas, water and power to their industries for maintaining smooth industrial production. “The BEZA will try its best to assist the CHEC to be engaged as the contractor for design and construction of the project, permissible under relevant laws of Bangladesh,” said the Clause 4.2 of the agreed terms.
