Three-day 11th SAARC Trade Fair & Tourism Mart ’12 kicks off in capital
Dhaka, Mar 30 (UNB) - Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Friday stressed the need for greater cooperation in trade and investment among the SAARC countries to boost intra-regional trade and investment.
“Our intra-regional trade among the SAARC countries accounts for only five percent and less compared with overall trade and this can substantially be increased through cooperation in trade and investment,” he said, speaking at the inauguration of 11th SAARC Trade Fair & Tourism Mart ’12 held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
The three-day fair is showcasing the trade and tourism potentials of the SAARC nations. Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) under the Commerce Ministry, and Bangladesh Tourism Board under the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry are jointly organising the fair.
Commerce Minister GM Quader, and Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Faruk Khan, Nepalese Commerce Minister Lekh Raj Bhatta, State Minister for Economic Development of the Maldives Amin Abdullah, Additional Secretary of Commerce Ministry Mortuza Reza Chowdhury, Bangladesh Tourism Board CEO Md Mizanur Rahman, and FBCCI president AK Azad also spoke on the occasion,
EPB vice chairman Shubhashis Bose gave the address of welcome.
Addressing the function as the chief guest, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said regional cooperation is one of the strong instruments of global trade.
Mentioning that Bangladesh’s decision to become a transit country in 2010 paved the way for improving facilities for transit in the region, he also said that Bangladesh would do its best to ensure hassle-free travel through allowing `on arrival’ visa.
In this regard, Muhith also underscored the need for ensuring free movement of people in the region.
According to website, intra-regional trade under the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is 32 percent, while it is 52 percent in the EU bloc and 68 percent in the USA and Canadian bloc. These trade blocs have also proved to be a tool for development for the participating countries within their respective regions.
Commerce Minister GM Quader said that the country has a lot of potentials for business especially in tourism and hospitality and hoped that this fair would boost the regional trade.
He also said that tourism is a sector where all the countries of SAARC can complement each other rather than competing with each other.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Faruk Khan said trade and investment are nothing but the opposite side of the same coin, called economic development.
Mentioning that the whole region of SAARC contains many beautiful tourism spots, he said the concerned governments would have to adopt right policies, address the problem of visas as well as non-tariff barriers in boosting trade.
President of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) AK Azad stressed the need for giving special attention on addressing tariff barriers and trade barriers. “If we can address these, our trade will go up,”
Nepalese Commerce Minister Lekh Raj Bhatta said that the intra-regional trade among the SAARC countries remained very low compared to the overall trade volume. “We’ll have to find out ways to promote intra-regional trade.”
State Minister for Maldives Amin Abdullah hoped that after the fair, both Bangladesh and his country would be in a position to explore what kind of benefits could be exchanged between these two countries.
During the three-day fair, Bangladesh’s focus will be on visitors from the entire South and South-East Asian nations like India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia and Singapore in the event.
Around 350 stalls have been set up at the venue. Of the stalls, 50 have been kept aside for the tourism sector, 100 for trade sector from Saarc countries other than Bangladesh, 20 for Saarc observer countries, and 180 for Bangladesh.
The SAARC observer countries - the USA, the European Union, Iran, South Korea, Mauritius, Myanmar, Australia, Japan and China - are also included in the visitors’ list.
The organizers expect some 200,000 people will visit the event.
At least four seminars will be held during the three-day event. The exhibition will remain open for visitors from 10 am to 8 pm every day without any entry fee.
“Our intra-regional trade among the SAARC countries accounts for only five percent and less compared with overall trade and this can substantially be increased through cooperation in trade and investment,” he said, speaking at the inauguration of 11th SAARC Trade Fair & Tourism Mart ’12 held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
The three-day fair is showcasing the trade and tourism potentials of the SAARC nations. Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) under the Commerce Ministry, and Bangladesh Tourism Board under the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry are jointly organising the fair.
Commerce Minister GM Quader, and Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Faruk Khan, Nepalese Commerce Minister Lekh Raj Bhatta, State Minister for Economic Development of the Maldives Amin Abdullah, Additional Secretary of Commerce Ministry Mortuza Reza Chowdhury, Bangladesh Tourism Board CEO Md Mizanur Rahman, and FBCCI president AK Azad also spoke on the occasion,
EPB vice chairman Shubhashis Bose gave the address of welcome.
Addressing the function as the chief guest, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said regional cooperation is one of the strong instruments of global trade.
Mentioning that Bangladesh’s decision to become a transit country in 2010 paved the way for improving facilities for transit in the region, he also said that Bangladesh would do its best to ensure hassle-free travel through allowing `on arrival’ visa.
In this regard, Muhith also underscored the need for ensuring free movement of people in the region.
According to website, intra-regional trade under the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is 32 percent, while it is 52 percent in the EU bloc and 68 percent in the USA and Canadian bloc. These trade blocs have also proved to be a tool for development for the participating countries within their respective regions.
Commerce Minister GM Quader said that the country has a lot of potentials for business especially in tourism and hospitality and hoped that this fair would boost the regional trade.
He also said that tourism is a sector where all the countries of SAARC can complement each other rather than competing with each other.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Faruk Khan said trade and investment are nothing but the opposite side of the same coin, called economic development.
Mentioning that the whole region of SAARC contains many beautiful tourism spots, he said the concerned governments would have to adopt right policies, address the problem of visas as well as non-tariff barriers in boosting trade.
President of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) AK Azad stressed the need for giving special attention on addressing tariff barriers and trade barriers. “If we can address these, our trade will go up,”
Nepalese Commerce Minister Lekh Raj Bhatta said that the intra-regional trade among the SAARC countries remained very low compared to the overall trade volume. “We’ll have to find out ways to promote intra-regional trade.”
State Minister for Maldives Amin Abdullah hoped that after the fair, both Bangladesh and his country would be in a position to explore what kind of benefits could be exchanged between these two countries.
During the three-day fair, Bangladesh’s focus will be on visitors from the entire South and South-East Asian nations like India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia and Singapore in the event.
Around 350 stalls have been set up at the venue. Of the stalls, 50 have been kept aside for the tourism sector, 100 for trade sector from Saarc countries other than Bangladesh, 20 for Saarc observer countries, and 180 for Bangladesh.
The SAARC observer countries - the USA, the European Union, Iran, South Korea, Mauritius, Myanmar, Australia, Japan and China - are also included in the visitors’ list.
The organizers expect some 200,000 people will visit the event.
At least four seminars will be held during the three-day event. The exhibition will remain open for visitors from 10 am to 8 pm every day without any entry fee.
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