EPZs in western region offer good prospect
With lower tariff of industrial plots and an atmosphere free from labour unrest, the export processing zones (EPZs) in the western region of the country offer a good prospect for labour intensive industries, the Bepza executive chairman told a visiting Taiwanese team in the port city yesterday.
“Industries that run without gas can find Mongla, Uttara and Ishwardi EPZs as the most suitable sites where investors can also get respite from unbearable gridlock during transportation of products,” Brigadier General Jamil Ahmed Khan said.
Andy Kund, president of Pou Chen Group, is leading the 9-member delegation from Taiwan.
The team visited Chittagong and Karnaphuli EPZ yesterday.
Taiwan has already proposed to set up a $100 million worth of labour intensive shoe and leather products industry in any EPZ in Bangladeseh.
Since all the five EPZs in the eastern region-- Chittagong, Dhaka, Comilla, Karnaphuli and Adamjee (in Narayanganj) are already saturated, the investors now can choose industrial plots in the three EPZs in the western region, said the Bepza chief while briefing the delegation at CEPZ Zone Service Complex.
Of these three EPZs, gas supply could be ensured only for Ishwardy EPZ at Pakshi in Pabna, while this energy connection to Uttara EPZ in Nilphamari and Mongla EPZ in Bagerhat is yet to be developed.
But tariff of industrial plots in these EPZs was only $1 per square metre a year as against $2.20 for those in the EPZs in the eastern region.
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