FBCCI president pledges to work for lower bank interest rates

The newly-elected president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) yesterday vowed to work towards lowering bank interest rates to single digits to minimise operational costs of business.
“We will work together with the government, banks and entrepreneurs to fix interest rates to single digits to create a better business environment,” said Kazi Akramuddin Ahamed, the FBCCI president.
“Entrepreneurs should consider the business of banks as well. Most of the banks registered negative growth for the quarter that ended on September,” said Ahamed, also the chairman of Standard Bank.
The comments came at the handing-in ceremony of Ahamed, held at the FBCCI headquarters.
“The new committee will finish our unfinished work,” said the outgoing president AK Azad, while urging the new committee to work to cut the bank interest rates to single digit within six months.
He also requested to the new committee to negotiate with the government to ensure gas connection for all new factories.
“I know some entrepreneurs who brought machineries but failed to go for production due to gas crisis,” he said.
He recommended the new committee to hold dialogues with the government for the completion of the four-lane Dhaka-Chittagong Highway and opening of the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal waterways route, for the sake of boosting business activities.