Explore new markets, improve quality of products: PM

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday stressed the importance of exploring new markets, producing new products and maintaining their quality to grab export opportunities in the competitive world market.

‘You’ve to look for new countries, new markets and assess the demands in those markets. If we can do that we’ll be able to boost our business. We also need to maintain the quality of our products, make those attractive and brand those. All these things are very much important,’ she said.

The prime minister said this while inaugurating the month-long Dhaka International Trade Fair at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.

The ministry of commerce and Export Promotion Bureau jointly organised the fair to showcase Bangladesh’s products.

Sheikh Hasina assured the businessmen of providing her government’s all-out support to expand the export basket of Bangladeshi products. ‘We’ve already extended our all-out cooperation and will do the same in the future,’ she said.

She mentioned Bangladesh is currently exporting 750 items to 199 countries across the globe.

‘But, I think, we’ve to march forward and expand and improve our export basket.’

Sheikh Hasina said the businessmen also must look at the domestic market to expand their business. ‘You’ve to work to increase the purchasing capacity of local people...this is essential to increase the purchasing capacity if you want to market your products,’ she said.

Hasina mentioned that her government has given importance to the economic development of the country’s rural areas. ‘We’ve taken steps to develop the livelihood of the rural people so that they could purchase your products.’

Describing Bangladesh as an agriculture dependent country, she said it is natural for a country to go for industrialisation if it wants to achieve prosperity. ‘It’s not possible to expedite the economic development without industrialisation. But, the agriculture sector must not be neglected because agriculture is very much important...our food security is ensured with the agriculture sector.’

The prime minister said, ‘We have to boost our export and take a planned policy keeping all these things in mind. And the government has taken 5th Five Year Plan alongside a 10-year long vision with that view in mind.’

Commerce minister Tofail Ahmed, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on commerce ministry Tajul Islam Chowdhury, commerce secretary Shubhashish Basu, FBCCI president Shafiul Islam Mahiuddin, and EPB vice-chairman Bijoy Bhattachariya also spoke at the inaugural programme.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net