Make investment environment more attractive: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked the authorities concerned to work for making the country's investment environment more attractive, overcoming the problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

"An investment-friendly environment exists in the country. But all countries of the world are now facing problems due to coronavirus. We'll have to focus on how we can take the economy of our country forward amid the problem. We'll have to work and make our investment atmosphere more attractive," she said.

The prime minister issued the directive while addressing the governing board meeting of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA). 

She joined the meeting from her official residence GonoBhaban through a videoconference, but other board members got connected from the Prime Minister's Office.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh achieved the MDGs, announced by the United Nations, with competence and is now making efforts to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"We've already started giving importance to some issues. Infrastructure development is one of them as investment can never be drawn without good infrastructures," she said.

Hasina said the government has been working so that all communications routes --roads, waterways, rail and airways -- are developed. 

Mentioning that the government has addressed the acute electricity crisis, she said now the country has surplus electricity. 

The prime minister said the government is importing LNG alongside taking measures to extract (more) natural gas in the country.

With a view to creating a conducive environment to investment, 100 economic zones are being set up across the country, she said adding that the government is taking measures so that the entire country is developed, not just one region of it.

The economic zones can easily attract larger local and foreign investments alongside creation of jobs, she said.

Sheikh Hasina said people have started getting benefits from the measures taken by the government for attracting investment.

Alongside giving tax rebate to expedite industrialisation, the government has taken various measures, including exemption of interest for the import of capital machinery, she said.