Comprehensive reforms needed to boost investment, sustain growth

An economy without an independent source of data is like an aircraft flying without its airspeed sensors.

The growth of the country's farm sector has slowed down over the last five years and an expert from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) attributed this largely to the fall in rice production growth. The sector registered a yearly growth of 2.3 percent in 2012-16, down from 4.7 percent in 2007-11.

​Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina puts emphasis on boosting trade and investment between Bangladesh and European Union (EU) member states.

The proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year increases investment in digitising government services by 36.01 percent year on year.

BNP senior joint secretary general Rizvi Ahmed rejects the proposed national budget for the next fiscal terming it as anti-people.

A trilateral cooperation among Bhutan, Bangladesh and India that will enable Bangladesh to invest in the Bhutanese power sector to re-import the electricity could soon be a reality.

It should not be surprising that private sector investment's share in GDP is shrinking. Banks are drowning in excess cash to the point where call money rate collapsed to historic lows.

Foreigners will have to invest a total of US$1 million in Bangladesh or transfer a total amount of $2 million from their country to Bangladesh to avail citizenship here.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurates the development activities of 10 economic zones began today, aiming to boost both foreign and domestic investment in the country.

The quarterly economic review unveiled by the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry on February 10 has called on the government...

The investors – both foreign and domestic – are scared to invest in expensive and long-life projects due to the increasing insecurity and disorder. The public order management, police patrol and intelligence need to go through a major overhaul.

Bangladesh's target to double its apparel exports by next five years is daunting but achievable if the country can fix infrastructure bottlenecks, boost productivity and attract investment. “The target is very simple, but a challenging one,” said Sharif As-Saber, a Bangladeshi professor at RMIT University, an Australia-based public university.

First the good news: two of the largest Indian conglomerates have pledged to invest US$11.2 billion in Bangladesh in power, energy and infrastructure sectors.

Bangladesh should nurture a long-term relationship with foreign investors in order to retain them which would ultimately benefit the economy, said a World Bank expert.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reassures all the local and foreign investors of her government's highest level of commitment to quickly facilitate their pragmatic proposals and simplification of investment procedure so that they can make the best use of their money.

Only policy rate cuts are not enough to boost investment, as there are other factors such as business environment, investment certainty and cost of doing business, which analysts say need to be addressed for a higher growth.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed says a council would be formed soon to boost business between Bangladesh and European countries.

A senior World Bank official has met Finance Minister AMA Muhith in Peru and discussed a new financing scheme of $1.9 billion.

Skypower Global, one of the world's largest and most successful utility-scale solar power producing companies, would invest 4.3 billion US dollars in solar power sector in Bangladesh.