& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Groundbreaking ceremony likely in April

Korean EPZ to go into production next year
The groundbreaking ceremony of Korean Export Processing Zone, the country's first industrial park owned by a foreign private company, is expected to take place in April, reports UNB.
Acquisition of land arrangements for other infrastructural supports, including water, electricity and gas supply. telephone connection, jetty and ferry facilities and improvement of the access road for the KEPZ are progressing rapidly.
This was disclosed at a high-level meeting on the KEPZ held in the conference room of the Industries Ministry with Minister for Commerce and Industries Tofael Ahmed in the chair Thursday.
Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the groundbreaking ceremony of the KEPZ.
Youngone Corporation, a Korean company, is the first private foreign investor to establish a private EPZ in Bangladesh covering an area of 2768 acres of land on the bank of river Karnaphuli in Chittagong.
Sponsors expect one billion US dollar investment in the zone while another 200 million dollars will be spent for infrastructural development. The KEPZ is expected to go into production by next year and create employment for 150.000 people.
While discussing different stages of the progress of work, the minister asked the Chittagong district administration to complete land-acquisition process immediately.
The meeting decided to set up a police outpost In the vicinity of the zone for safety and security of the project area.
It also decided to provide 500 gallons of water per day from Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Factory (CUFL). the adjacept industry, to KEPZ.
At this initial stage. CUFL will also provide about 5 mw electricitv to KEPZ while the T&T authorities assured telephone lines. Petrobangla assured providing sufficient gas as needed In 1998
A committee was formed with the chairman of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) to look Into how jetty and ferry facilities could be provided to the zone in view of the future planing of creating adequate port facilities there.
The meeting asked the Roads and Highways Department to improve the approach road to KEPZ Besides, traffic division of Chittagong police was asked to improve the traffic system there.
Opening discussion. Tofael said the government was preparing the groups for establishing the KEPZ as it is the first government step towards creating Jobs, transfer of modern technology and increase in foreign exchange earning.
The prime minister, he said, is very keen to see that the project complete as soon as possible and all government departments are working together to materialise the maiden task for expanding scope for foreign investment.
Besides, a large number of foreign investors are now en-
gaged in production and distribution of gas and electricity under production-sharing contract. he said, adding these are the outcome of pragmatic and epoch-making steps taken by the government to attract foreign investment.
The steps include private EPZ law. permanent law commission. liberalization of trade policy, and Incentive package containing huge fiscal and nonfiscal incentives to the investors. he said.
The minister told the meet ing that the government was re ceiving positive response from potential foreign investors from Singapore. UK, USA. European countries. Canada and otner economic powers to invest In Bangladesh in different sectors.
At the same time, he said the government is expanding the present Dhaka and Chittagong EPZs to accommodate more export-oriented industries. So. another 81 industries are now under Implementation besides 95 units now in operation in these two EPZs.
Another EPZ in an area of about 500 acres of l$nd in Gazipur is under construction, Tofael added.
Executive Chairman of the Board of Investment Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury. Cultural Secretary Anisul Haq Chowdhury. President of youngone Corporation Kihak Sung Exec utive Chairman of BEPZA Moazzem Hossain Khan. CDA Chairman M Zakaria and representatives of concerned ministries attended the meeting.