Economy is making a turnaround: finance adviser

Bangladesh's economy is making a turnaround, with foreign currency reserves strengthening and traders regaining confidence, Commerce and Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said today.

The interim-government is taking effective steps to give a boost to the economy, he said at a meeting with the country's top business leaders at the commerce ministry in Dhaka.

"It is not possible to do everything within three months. But we are working. Sooner or later, the political government will come into power. We will work for the country as long as we are here," the adviser said.

The government is giving priority to the food, energy, fertilisers and pesticides sectors and state support will be extended to the private sector players to increase their involvement in these sectors, he said.

The business leaders appreciated the steps taken by the existing government to develop the domestic industry, the commerce ministry said in a press release.

They called for introducing one-stop service centres, reducing import duties on products for the pharmaceutical, leather, garment, and other industries to support overall private sector development, and ensuring an uninterrupted supply of gas and electricity

Among others, Md Selim Uddin, commerce secretary; Tapan Chowdhury, managing director of Square Pharmaceuticals; Abdul Muktadir, chairman of Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd; Syed Nasim Manzur, managing director of Apex Group, and Uzma Chowdhury, director of PRAN Group, also spoke at the event.