The Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) today urged the government to extend the tenure of trade and other licences to at least five years from the existing one year in a bid to reduce the cost of doing business and eliminate hassles.

"It will ease the process of doing business," said MCCI President Md Saiful Islam at a briefing at his office in Dhaka.

The entrepreneur said businesses get trade licences quite easily from city corporations but face hassles in getting licences from the offices in the field levels, particularly from union parishads.

MCCI Vice President Habibulllah N Karim said: "We want licences for multiple years. If the government issues licences for multiple years, it will save time for both private and public sectors."