Jagaran Chakma

The pandemic is showing no signs of abating but still 41.8 per cent of Japanese companies in Bangladesh during 2020 wanted to expand business in the next two years, according to a survey by Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro).

However, 70.3 per cent had sought to do so in 2019.

In 2020, another 49.3 per cent believed that their operations will remain the same while 6 per cent pondered over going for retrenching.

Besides, 3 per cent wanted to shift to another country withdrawing investments, failing to bear the difficulties of the ongoing Covid-19 fallouts.

The “2019 JETRO Survey on Business Condition of Japanese Companies in Asia and Oceania” was released on March 2021.

Over 300 companies are doing business in Bangladesh and the number has been rising in recent years due to continuous economic growth in the last decade.

Those expressing intent to expand business in Bangladesh cite growth potential and sales increases enabled through exports and the domestic market.

According to the Jetro report, 9 per cent of the companies in Bangladesh have already recovered from the pandemic’s effects, 31.3 per cent expect to return to normalcy in the first half of 2021 and 34.3 per cent in the second half.