Bangladesh fails to hit back: govt official
Bangladesh is facing anti-dumping duty from some countries including its neighbours but has failed to retaliate due to a lack of research and information, analysts said yesterday.
“The commission is designated to impose anti-dumping duty from 1995, but we have failed to impose it on a single product,” said Md Zahir Uddin Ahmed, chairman of the Bangladesh Tariff Commission (BTC).
Usually businessmen do not come forward and inform the commission about the problems they face, he said.
Ahmed also blamed the lack of unwillingness of businessmen to give information to the BTC for research purpose.
His comments came at the seminar -- Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission and its role in the economic development of Bangladesh -- at the Institute of Chartered Secretaries of Bangladesh (ICSB) at the Dhaka Club.
The government is working to rename the BTC as the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission.
India imposed anti-dumping duty on Bangladesh's jute export nearly two years ago and Pakistan did the same on chemical exports from Bangladesh.
Ahmed said the commission could not employ researchers because the law that governs the commission doesn't allow it.
But the government is now going to amend the act, he said. “Then our contribution to businesses will be very significant.”
The BTC chief said political diplomacy is obsolete globally and trade diplomacy was continuing. “So, we have to increase efficiency in the public and private sectors to triumph in the negotiation of the international arena,” he added.
Mostafa Abid Khan, a member of the commission, said the commission lacked evidence-based trade, investment and industry policies. “With the amendment of the act, the commission will be able to employ temporary researchers or consultants to perform specific jobs.”
The commission will be empowered in collecting data for the purpose of research and will investigate maintaining strict confidentiality, Khan said, while making a presentation in the seminar.
“As a result, businessmen will be ready to give information and we will be able to perform better,” he added.
The BTC was the brainchild of the government set up to deal with business and trade, but businessmen do not go to the commission, said, Feroz Iqbal Faruque, chief executive of Trans World Resource Inc.
“They should go to the BTC for their trade-related problems instead of the National Board of Revenue to get good result,” he added.
Mohammad Asad Ullah, immediate past president of the ICSB, presided over the seminar.
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