Photo : Collected
Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) has demanded a sustainable solution in regard to the power and gas crisis, saying that the domestic industries have been facing tough challenges due to high inflation and high rate of interest on bank loans.
The lone chamber in the industrial sector made the demand when its delegation, led by BCI president Anwar-ul Alam Chowdhury (Parvez) called on Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun at his ministry office on Thursday (15 February).
The BCI delegation, comprised of its board of directors, said that the country’s industrial sector has been passing through a transitional period.
No industry in the country is able to run at its full potential, sales of all companies have dropped due to high inflation, low gas pressure, high interest rate of loans. With these all together, the domestic industries have been facing tough challenges, said the BCI leaders.
The BCI president said the prices of electricity and gas were increased in the hope that the government would ensure their continuous supply in the pretext of their increasing prices on the international market.
“But despite the declining trend of energy prices in the international market, it is being heard that the prices of electricity and gas will be increased again”, he added.
“It is important to have a sustainable solution to the problem. If a long term plan is given to the industrial sector in terms of power and gas supply, it can move forward accordingly,” he noted.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Minister was presented with floral greetings from the BCI Board of Directors and a frame with BCI's 'My Product My Country' logo.
The BCI president said they have recently sat with the Governor of Bangladesh Bank to know about the policy of the Bangladesh Bank regarding all these problems of the country.
He said that due to some policies of Bangladesh Bank, banks are being encouraged to invest in bonds. As a result, there will be a liquidity crisis in the bank.
“New investment will not come in and the unemployment rate will rise due to such a move by the central bank. It is very important to save our current industries”, he added.
He said that the industrial sector of the country is suffering for various policies of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
He observed that running the businesses have become difficult due to new policies at various times. He requested the Minister to call a meeting with the Chairman of NBR.
Senior vice-president of BCI Preeti Chakraborty said that in the meeting that service industries in the country are still paying utility bills at commercial rates.
She requested the minister to take necessary measures to make utility bills at industrial rates.
BCI vice-president Mohammad Yunus, executive committee, Dr. Delwar Hossain Raja, Zia Hyder Mithu, Mizanur Rahman, Nazmul Anwar, Sohana Rauf Chowdhury, Md Salim Jahan, Md Mahfuzur Rahman and Senior Secretary of Industries Ministry Zakia Sultana were present at the meeting.
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