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Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi today said that Bangladesh wants to double its export earnings from Canada within the next three years.
“Our current annual export earnings from Canada are one billion US Dollars. We want to double it within the next three years. To attain this, the potentials of SMEe and female entrepreneurs should be utilized,” he said.
The Commerce Minister was addressing a certificate giving ceremony among the participants of a training programme held at a city hotel, said a press release.
He handed over the certificates among 29 trade professionals for their role of developing capacity in trade and international market access support.
As part of a project titled ‘Export Launchpad Bangladesh’, an international trade capacity building and market access support programme in Bangladesh, certificates were given among the professionals, who have been selected from nine industries, banks, trade chambers and commercial institutions.
International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), Trade Facilitation Office–Canada (TFO-Canada) and Business Promotion Council (BPC) gave the certificates.
Speaking on the occasion, the Commerce Minister said since Canada recently banned the use of plastic goods, it might create export potentials for Bangladesh.
“Because, the demand for our jute goods as an alternative to plastic goods will increase in Canada,” he said hoping that the scope for exporting jute goods would be further expanded in the days to come.
The awarded officials are from Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI), Business Promotion Council (BPC), Brac Bank, City Bank, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), SME Foundation (SMEF), Women Entrepreneur Association of Bangladesh (WEAB) and Women Entrepreneur Network for Development (WEND).
They were selected following a training programme from July to October this year.
The certificate recipients will now act as trainers and thus provide advice and assistance to SMEs regarding expansion of their trade as well as getting access to international markets.
Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Canada; AHM Shafiquzzaman, coordinator, Business Promotion Council and Additional Secretary of Ministry of Commerce; AHM Ahsan, Additional Secretary of the ministry and Vice Chairman Export Promotion Bureau; spoke at the event.
Benoit Prefontaine, Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh; Hani Salem Sonbol, Chief Executive Officer, ITFC; and Steve Tipman, Executive Director, TFO; addressed through video link.
LightCastle, a Bangladeshi business consultant firm, is facilitating the Launchpad project with the support of ITFC, TFO and BPC.
Launchpad, a technical assistance project consisting of a train-the-trainer activity, aims to reduce poverty in Bangladesh through capitalizing opportunities in the global trade.
(BSS)
