Investment Climate: The Facts Which Are Not Pronounced So Much

It was end of December last year, I had an opportunity to visit some industries of the country (both local and foreign). While on that time our team visited some famous foreign company who have invested in Dhaka Export Processing Zone at Savar, Dhaka. The visit was organized by Dhaka EPZ authority. On the visit we interacted with world famous Japanese zipper company widely known as YKK. We talked to their management about their experience, expectation, satisfaction and plan about doing business in Bangladesh. It was really wonderful experience to know about their satisfaction about doing business in this country. While on our discussion, Mr. Masud Karim, the company manager told us the market size for their product is really large so that they need to expand their factory. But at present their factory has almost no area for expansion in Dhaka EPZ so that they are planning to set up new factory in other area. I asked “have you finalized your location”. “Yes almost, may be in “Comilla” or “Chittagong” and of coerce it will be on EPZ area”. “Why do you prefer these two locations?”- I asked. The manager said “it is not only the business environment but also the living environment”. Then suddenly the director of the company Mr. Yuji Yamase replied “the decision was taken by me”. “As a foreign investor I really want to stay in this country but to do so I need to have the environment”- he mentioned, “on Mongla EPZ there is no custom facility, banking facility is also very poor”. “Other areas are also poor in terms of facility. Beside of this housing, medical, schooling for foreign people, shopping centre- these are also absent in many places. Many foreign people may adjust in this place but if you really wish to invite Japanese people then you must remember that these people are very choosy. May be they are the choosiest nation in the world. So they are extremely serious about environment. Japanese people also need playground to play after noon time, they like quiet place like golf court and environment for safe-comfortable and free movement”. The conversation was not so long but it made remarkable image inside of myself. I also felt we need to create some places so that foreign people can celebrate on their cultural and national program. In the country our business people as well as our government make many statements to improve investment climate. But “how to improve it” is the question. May be government has many idea but I do not think they really think about creation of social infrastructure really fit for the foreigners. I also remember YKK and many investors clamed about weak infrastructure of the country specially the condition of roads, rail and weak and slow process of handling of goods in depot and ports. But even after all these condition foreign investors really want to expand their business specially to expand their manufacturing units here. To get these investments we really need to listen to the investors’ view otherwise the opportunity will never remain the same in our country.

Tags: Bangladesh Economy, Investment, Investment Climate, Trade