In order to strengthen logistics facilities and coordination among connected groups, the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has urged for an immediate automation of port operations. The DCCI premises in Dhaka hosted a debate titled “Easing the Business System: An International Trade Perspective” during which this petition was made.
In order to solve the difficulties facing Bangladesh’s private sector, DCCI President Ashraf Ahmed underlined the urgent need for port operations to be modernised. Currency devaluation, rising inflation, declining foreign exchange reserves, excessive bank loan interest rates, and difficulties obtaining letters of credit are only a few of the urgent problems he outlined that firms face.
Ahmed noted that a number of fines levied against companies, together with the complexity and delays of customs procedures at ports and customs houses, were the main causes of rising business costs. He drew attention to the lack of automation at the nation’s ports as well as the deficient testing and scanning infrastructure, which severely slows down the import and export procedures and disadvantages Bangladeshi companies in the global marketplace.
The head of DCCI also mentioned the government’s aggressive US $ 57.5 billion export goal for the 2024–2025 fiscal year. He claimed that in order to accomplish this, the government must give top priority to installing automated systems and contemporary facilities in every port.
Ahmed also pushed for better land, rail, and maritime connectivity with ports and emphasised the significance of providing focused training to C&F agents, port workers, and customs authorities to boost their capacities. In order to enable more seamless international operations, he underlined the necessity of increasing foreign exchange reserves.
SM Lablur Rahman, Member (Finance) of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh; Commodore M Fazlur Rahman, Member (Harbour and Marine) of the Chittagong Port Authority; and Farhana Iris, Joint Secretary (WTO Wing) of the Ministry of Commerce, were among the prominent individuals who contributed to the discussion.