FROM PAGE B1

to a keynote paper presented by Moazzem and CPD Programme Associate Abrar Ahammed Buiyan at Hotel Lakeshore, Dhaka.

The keynote paper, titled “Addressing Institutional Challenges in the Investment Cycle of Renewable Energy: Case of Chinese Overseas Investment” identified some investment challenges in Bangladesh.

Those include complex procedures to form companies, partial digitalised government processes, multiple licensing requirements each with separate procedures and the necessity to submit the same documents multiple times at different offices.

While the open tender process is a positive step toward transparency, several operational and structural issues remain, it said.

The process remains partially paper-based, requiring submission of documents physically, which increases the risk of administrative delays and errors, especially for foreign investors without a local office to support the process, it read.

Prolonged and multi-layered approval processes were also blamed, for which approvals took years whereas in India it took just three to four months, as per the study.

The paper recommended a central support system to guide the foreign investors in the full industry setup process.

The PDB’s tender process disqualifies proposals over minor technicalities or formatting errors, even if otherwise viable, it said.

There is no system to notify bidders of incomplete submissions. Additionally, there is no active bidder helpline or FAQ section on official websites, the study added.

Han Kun, president of the Chinese Enterprises Association in Bangladesh, said land was the most critical matter in power sector in Bangladesh.

When the investor already purchased land and managed the government’s different wings’ approvals, they took financial risks, he said.

The projects have been suspended at a time when they were about to receive final funding and go through tariff negotiations, he added.

Jalal Ahmed, chairman of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission, said the government was working to overcome all challenges for achieving the target to generate 20 percent of power demand from renewable sources by 2030.

“The recommendation from the study will help us to overcome the challenges,” he said.

Weiquan Wang, deputy secretary general of Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association, said China has established a comprehensive framework that includes sustainable energy development goals supported by its national policy.

“Facilitating incentives, fixed tariff structures, total volume purchases, and special fund policies paved the way for investment in China’s renewable energy sector,” he said.