FDI grows 71.43%: BIDA

Inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bangladesh grew 71.43 per cent last year, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) disclosed the facts today.

"Yet, the figure did not meet the expectations. We have to reform many rules and regulations to reach the expected level of the FDI inflow," said M Aminul Islam, executive chairman of the BIDA.

Addressing a press briefing at the BIDA auditorium in Agargaon area of Dhaka, Aminul cited that Bangladesh got $3.6 billion in 2018, up from $2.1 billion a year ago. 

The highest FDI came from China in 2018, followed by Netherland $692 million, the BIDA executive chairman said.

He said among the highest FDI flow, $371 million FDI came from UK last year, $174 million from USA, $171 million from Singapore$170 million from Hong Kong, $121 million from India, and 4108 million came from Norway in the same year.

Out of the total FDI, $1.12 billion was in equity capital, $1.30 billion in reinvested earning, and rest of $1.18 billion in intra-company loan, he added.

BIDA has taken massive initiative to reform a number of rules and regulation that are directly related with the FDI and he is hopeful about improvement of FDI as per expectation in coming days, Aminul said.