Better Business Forum by next month

The government plans to set up a public-private platform styled 'Bangladesh Better Business Forum' (BBBF) by early next month to involve the business community in policymaking.
To be headed by the chief adviser, the forum will consist of government's policymakers, chief of army staff, business leaders, civil society members and economists.
A draft proposal prepared by the Chief Adviser's Office to that effect has already been sent to the business leaders for their feedback.
Earlier on September 5, Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed proposed forming the forum at a dialogue between the government and businessmen.
According to the proposal, the forum will seek to increase interaction between the business community and the government high-ups and ensure policy supports to the investors as well as the businessmen.
For a better business climate it will work to identify problems facing the economy and recommend solutions to those.
The business leaders have welcomed the initiative that they believe will not only help restore confidence in the businessmen but also make it easier for the country to graduate to a middle-income nation.
They have already met twice to firm up their recommendations in this regard. A final proposal will be sent to the chief adviser by tomorrow.
Meanwhile, International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group dedicated to promoting sustainable private sector investment in developing countries, has recommended forming a forum modelled on that in Cambodia.
But a number of business leaders have told The Daily Star that they do not prefer the Cambodian model as the situation in the Southeast Asian country and Bangladesh is not the same.
Mahbubur Rahman, president of International Chamber of Commerce-Bangladesh (ICC-B), welcomed the government move and said a consultative body of this kind is needed for proper formulation and implementation of the government policies.
President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Mir Nasir Hossain said the proposed committee will help the business community take out policies conducive to expanding their businesses.
He said the business community have long felt the necessity for such a body as they need quick decisions from the government side on issues like investment and business operations in the country.
Nasir said he hopes the BBBF will help them avoid bureaucratic tangles in seeking government approvals for different private ventures.
He noted that the forum should be formed as soon as possible as the present economic situation warrants some urgent policy decisions.
He said the new platform should be business-oriented. A strong representation of the business community there would enable them better explain their position and the barriers they face in running businesses.
Proposed to be a high profile public-private body of over 40 members, the forum would be run through a secretariat, said sources.
Its chairperson will sit twice a year with the members while the finance adviser who will be the executive chairperson will sit in every two months, according to the draft proposal.
There will be a number of working groups to implement the aims and objectives of the forum.
The FBCCI president said, "We always want the government to be with us. Without government help it is not possible to expand trade in the present-day competitive global market."
Besides revamping the economy the consultative committee will help create ample employment opportunities as local industries will grow faster after its launch, he observed.