The government has disbursed cash subsidy worth Tk 44.81 billion against the allocation of Tk 45 billion to the export-oriented sectors for the fiscal year 2017-18 (FY18), sources said.Currently, 27 export-oriented sectors including apparel industry, frozen foods and fish, leather products, agro-based products and agro-processing industry are receiving cash incentives.The sectors are enjoying up to 20 per cent cash incentive from the government that helps increase their export volume.Except jute, all the sectors entitled to receive cash subsidy got the full amount allocated for the current fiscal year. Because of lower export volume, jute and jute goods exporters slipped in the target this year.The government last week released the fourth (last) installment of cash incentives amounting to Tk 11.06 billion for disbursement among major exporters during the period from April to June this year.Of the total amount, jute and jute goods exporters will get Tk 1.06 billion in cash incentives while other sectors will receive Tk 10.0 billion, according to a circular issued by finance division.The ministry of finance allocated Tk 5.0 billion for the jute and jute goods subsector this fiscal. Of the amount, Tk 4.81 billion were disbursed, according to the circular.However, Tk 40 billion were distributed to other listed sectors.Following anti-dumping duty, imposed by the Indian government, and political instability in Middle East, the export of jute goods declined significantly, exporters said.”So, we lost about Tk 190 million cash incentive on our export earnings this year,” said Abdul Barik Khan, secretary of Bangladesh Jute Mills Association (BJMA).
