Europe wants strong ACC

The government should not take any steps that would weaken the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), said William Hanna, ambassador and head of delegation of the European Commission to Bangladesh yesterday.
Welcoming the initiative of setting up the Bangladesh International Arbitration Centre (BIAC), Hanna said such institutions will help reduce disputes in business activities.
Last month, the International Chamber of Commerce -- Bangladesh (ICC-B), Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka, joined efforts to set up the centre for alternative dispute resolution (ADR), with support from Bangladesh Investment Climate Fund.
While speaking at the regular monthly luncheon meeting of the Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Hanna suggested the industry owners pay fair wages to the workers.
"Bangladesh should ensure health and safety conditions, fair wages and a decent working condition," Hanna said.
He also suggested Bangladesh enhance the testing standards and quality of shrimps so that the export of the item to EU does not face any hurdle.
Hanna said the country's economy remained unhurt through the recent global recession despite poor performance of bureaucracy, power shortage and weak infrastructures.
Hanna said Bangladesh started gaining benefit from the relaxed Rules of Origin (RoO) by the EU, under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) from January this year, as the export of different goods from Bangladesh to EU has been increasing rapidly in recent months.
The EU relaxed the RoO for the least developed countries from January 1, meaning the LDCs will get duty-free benefit from Euro zone even if the goods are manufactured from imported materials, which was not possible earlier.
Bangladesh needs sustainable development and protection against environmental degradation, he added. These are major policy decisions to attract foreign direct investment, he said.
The envoy said at least 300 companies from EU are in operation here in different sectors including pharmaceuticals.
FICCI President AM Hamim Rahmatullah facilitated the meeting.