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87 businesspeople get ClP status

Star Business Report
The government yesterday awarded the status of commercially important person to 87 businessmen in recognition of their outstanding performance in export and trade.
Of the total awardees, 51 businessmen got the status for their extraordinary performances in exports in 2010, while 36 business leaders received the CIP cards under ex-officio category.
The 51 recipients under the export category were selected from 15sectors.
Thirty-five representatives from the apex trade body, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), and one from Bangladesh Textile
Mills Association were given the CIP status under the ex-officio category.
The major export sectors under which the CIP status was given include raw jute, raw hide (crust and finished), leather and leather goods, readymade garments (woven and knitwear), frozen foods, agricultural products and agro-processed foods, pharmaceuticals, handicrafts, plastic products and others.
Commerce Minister GM Quader was the chief guest at the programme to give away the CIP cards among the recipients.
The minister said the balance of payments is under a bit pressure due to excessive imports of petroleum products for generating elec-
tricity and for paying higher subsidies in different sectors.
“But the government is trying to improve the foreign exchange reserve by cutting internal costs and increasing exports,” Quader said. The commerce ministry is ready to help exporters explore new export destinations such as Russia, Japan and Brazil, he added.
"Political problems do not hamper business and trade; rather it is the slide in law and order that affects the businesses the most," he said.
The minister also blamed bureaucratic tangles and corruption for the delay in expanding Dhaka-Chittagong highway into four lanes. The expansion work of the highway was scheduled to be complete within 2013, but it might not happen due to a slow pace in work.
FBCCI President AK Azad said, if the government can provide adequate gas and power and improved infrastructures, exports of the country would reach $52 billion within next five years.
“New investments are not coming as the banking sector cannot go for big financing due to a liquidity crisis, although the country needs more foreign
and domestic investment for creating employments," Azad said.
Urging the political leaders to stop the culture of shutdown, he said political unrest affects the growth of businesses.
A CIP for a good few years and president of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Amjad Khan Chowdhury, called upon the government to help the exporters improve the quality of their products and diversify those to earn more from overseas trade.
"Our export is dependent on textiles
and garment products,” he said.
FBCCI Director Monwara Hakim Ali urged the government to find out more successful women entrepreneurs and recognise their contribution.
She said many women cannot export silk products, handicrafts and khadi due to a lack of cooperation from the government.
Monoj Kumar Roy, chairman of the CIP (export) selection committee for 2010, said 165 persons were supposed to be awarded in the year, but many could not qualify for not having tax clearance.
He also said the CIP cards could not be distributed in time due to some problems.
ATM Mortuza Reza Chowdhury, acting commerce secretary, chaired the function, while ABM Abul Kashem MP, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the commerce ministry, Shubhashish Bose, vice-chairman of Export Promotion Bureau, and Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu, FBCCI vice-president, also spoke.
The commerce ministry and the state-owned EPB jointly give the CIP status everyyear.
FULL LIST ON B3