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FBCCI against political movement

Govt policy blamed for industries’ turning sick

By Staff Correspondent
A conference of over 1000 entrepreneurs of sick Industries Monday blamed the pol Icy of the government and non-cooperation of the banks and financial Institutions for the industrial units becoming sick.
The conference, organised by the Inter Association Sick Industries Rehabilitation Council at the National Press Club demanded Immediate Implementation of the rec ommendatkjns of the Sick In dustnes Revival and Rehablllta Uon Cell til salvage the sick units as well as to create a favourable atmosphere for In vestment
Participant* at the confer ence sakl that 90 per cent of the total 40.000 Industries In the country had become sick because of some reasons beyond their control
Undue pressure from the World Bank and the other donors to change government polky on Industrie* had also contributed in hindering the ifxftislrtalisaUon of tile country leading to a number of Industrial units becoming sick, they Mki
The conference was al tended by the President o( tlx-Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Mahbubur Rahman aa chief guest while It was addressed by the leaders
of a number of business groups and associations
The FBCCI President informed the conference that he would soon sit with the government on behalf of the Federation to discuss the re habtlltatlon of sick Industries
The government attitude tn this regard was positive, he claimed pointing out to the Inclusion of the rehabilitation of sick Industries for the first time In the industrial policy of the country
He also said that the offl-Mahr and bankers included In the Cell, set up by the gov ernment for the sick Industries. had admltled that the banks were largely responsible for making tl>e Industrie*
Hix government lias ad milled the reality and a post live process In this regard has been launched Ihls Is a great achievement for Ui". Rahman Mid. adding that the move ment for the rehabilitation of sick units should not be like tliat of the politic al parties
Criticizing the action programme taken up by the Council to compel the gov ernment realise Its demands, the FBCCI chief said that the Federation would not support the Councils positkrn if it launclied a movement with po-lltkal overtone to destabilise and embarrass the government
He. however, felt that the private entrepreneurs should act as the development part ner of the government by contributing to the nallonki economy
Mahbubur Rahman said that the FBCCI would do Its best to help rehabilitation of sick In dustries In all possible ways and called upon the owners to approach the government in this respect tn a systematic ■W
He said the government had established Sick Industries Rehabilitation Cell last year for the purpose and decided to constitute an industrial com mission' Involving both public and private sectors
"The industrial consultative committee of the government is now working relentlessly for formulating a realistic frame work of the commission, he said adding that It was a sin cere demonstration of the gov ernment desire to rehabilitate the sick industries
Mahbubur Rahman said that the present level of problems due the sick industries was the result of the non-imple mentation of government poll cies during the seventies and the eighties The government needs time to overcome such a mounting problem he said
Rahman urged the govern ment to withhold cases filed a^unst the owners of sick in dustries and implement its pobdes in a way so that banks and Industries remained safe in the greater Interest of the country
He also urged the govern ment to realize the foteis sane tioned In foreign currency al the exchange rate it was dis bursed and said it would be a great help for Industrial Hal ton in the country.
The reasons behind the sickness of the Industries mentioned by various partici pants of the conference tn eluded devaluation of the eur rency corruption, disruption in power supply political un rest, lack of working capital smuggling absence of protec tion for focal products and bu
Mirza Abu Mansur former chigf of the Chittagong Cham ber of Commerce1 and Industry who presided over the conference. suggested the setting up of an institution, through en acting a law. to deal with the sick industries
He was also critical about the filing of cases against the entrepreneurs whose Indus tries had already been tdentl fed by the Cel a. meg
In hts written speech Mirza Manzur reviewed the overall •ituatton tn the industrial see tor of the country, identified ^probfoms and suggested a ernment consideration to
overcome the situation
The recommendations for rehabilitation of sick industries Include exemption of penalty Interest by 100 per cent and general Interest by 75-100 per cent for Industries identified by the Sick Industries Rchabil nation Cell, full financial and technical assistance for BMRE. withdrawal of cases filed against sick industries, ensur ' Ing supply of electricity regu larly stopping smuggling, ban on import of goods which can be produced In the country, stopping government help In setting up Industries more than necessary, reduction of customs duty on Import of raw materials. setting up of buying and sale centres by the gov ernment for facilitating mar kettng of goods supply of proper statistics to help In vestment and proper Imple mentation of Industrial policy
The conference was also addressed by Alauddm Ahmed Convenor of the Council. Jalaluddln Ahmed. Vice Presi dent of Bangladesh Sick Industries Association (HSIA) Glas Ahmed. Senior Vice-President of Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners Association Lt Col (Htdl Kazi Sellmuddin. Presi dent of Bangladesh Specialised Textile Mills and Powerloom Industries Association and Nu nil Islam ( hairmari of Bang ladesh Cold Storage As soclatlon.