Help regain GSP

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the US business leaders to pursue their government to withdraw the decision on revoking Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) for Bangladeshi goods.The GSP suspension, instead of ensuring GSP compliance and workers’ welfare, will affect the interests of Bangladeshi workers, she said.The premier made the remarks while talking to a delegation of US-Bangladesh Working Group of US Chamber of Commerce at her hotel suite in New York on Thursday.PM’s Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury briefed reporters after the meeting.Hasina said the suspension of GSP facility in the name of safety, workers’ welfare and compliance was not justified.The reason for the suspension because of a few accidents was also not justified. “Such industrial accidents are frequently taking place in different parts of the world even in the developed countries.”The present government has taken steps for increasing the salaries and benefits of garment workers, she said.She told the delegation about her government’s steps taken for providing financial support to the families of dead people and injured garment workers after the collapse of Rana Plaza.The US delegation said they wanted to resolve the problems relating to GSP as they think, the decision on suspension of GSP was not proper on policy grounds.Hoping that the suspension order would be withdrawn soon, the chamber leaders said they had already conveyed their opinion to the US government.The US trade leaders gave emphasis on high level dialogue between business and government leaders to promote trade and investment with Bangladesh, Iqbal Sobhan told reporters.The US delegation appreciated the leadership of Hasina in promoting US-Bangladesh trade and investment relations.They also apprised her that they wanted to develop a state level dialogue between business and government leaders.Pointing out their investment in power sector, energy sector and offshore drilling in Bangladesh, they said the US companies were conducting seismic survey in the energy sector.They hoped that through the seismic survey, they would discover new oil and gas reserves in Bangladesh.Appreciating the intension of the US business leaders, Hasina said her government believes in private sector-driven economy where the government plays the role of a facilitator.She said her government has opened up some sectors, including power and telecommunications, for competitive private and foreign investment.“Our government’s policy is to put in place a liberalised investment policy in Bangladesh,” she told the delegation.The premier also said the present government had attached importance to regional connectivity, and foreign investors would get benefit of regional business if they invest in Bangladesh.At the meeting, Hasina requested the Boeing representative to take all measures to complete the supply procedure of two Boeing aircraft by December next for which Bangladesh had already issued a buying order.The US chamber leaders said Bangladesh is a growing market for US products and a good importer of raw materials.So they feel that the relationship between Bangladesh and the USA in the areas of trade, commerce and investment should be promoted further.They also said the US chamber was considering a business dialogue this year like the previous year, and a delegation would visit Bangladesh soon to formalise the procedure.They handed over a report on “USA and Bangladesh toward the Future: Policy Recommendation to Strengthen the US-Bangladesh Commercial Relationship” to the premier.Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and President of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, among others, were present during the meeting.