Advisers okay deal with India to remove non-tariff barriers
Unb, Dhaka
The Council of Advisers yesterday approved a proposal for signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to expand market of Bangladeshi products in India through removing the longstanding "non-tariff barriers" to export. As per provisions of the proposed MoU, the BSTI will perform tests regarding quality control, examination and certification of the products to be exported to India. The MoU will help remove the present non-tariff barrier to testing Bangladeshi goods at the BIS Lab in India. "It will also strengthen the existing friendly relations between the two countries," according to an official release. The meeting also approved a proposal for appointing an experienced IT consultant on voluntary basis from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to introduce machine-readable passport and machine-readable visa in the Immigration and Passport Department. It has been informed that many countries in the world will introduce machine-readable passport and visa within 2010, and the proposal was approved, aiming to introduce such system also in Bangladesh. Chaired by Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, the meeting also approved a draft agreement between Bangladesh and Saudi governments on capital investment, development and preservation. Already, the Saudi government has approved the finalised bilateral capital investment agreement with consent of the two countries. In a further step on the economic front, the council approved in principle the draft of Grameen Bank (Amendment) Ordinance 2007. The amended law has a provision for reducing the ownership of government and its controlled organisation on the share and capital of the Grameen Bank and reducing the number of government-nominated directors on the bank's board of directors. It also has a provision for expanding Grameen Bank's operations allover the country. The power of appointing chairman has been vested with the board of directors. And the Securities and Exchange Commission, instead of the government, will give approval in case of selling bond and credit documents. The meeting also approved ratification of a deal for establishment of Saarc Food Bank, which was signed during the 14th Saarc Summit in New Delhi in the first week of April this year. Members of the Council of Advisers, the cabinet secretary, the chief adviser's press secretary and the secretaries concerned attended the meeting at the Chief Adviser's Office.
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