Discussion Brief for the Export Strategy-Maker
Trade Support Network in the Private Sector: Bangladesh Perspective
There is an excellent collaboration between the
government and the trade bodies of private sector business in
Bangladesh on formulation of trade and investment policies. Regular
and frequent consultations between the government and the trade bodies
take place on various policy issues as well as on burning inhibiting
factors that affect trade and export. In these meetings solutions are
arrived at on the basis of consensus of the stakeholders
Though trade bodies exist in almost every district
of the country, the major Chambers and Trade Associations situated in
the Capital play the pivotal role. All these major trade bodies have
various programmes for promotion of business network as well as for
capacity building of its constituents. DCCI is one such major Chamber
located in Dhaka having around 3000 members from a diverse range of
business from trade and industries.
I would try to outline here the activities of DCCI
to indicate the nature of networking that this chamber promotes for
the trade and commerce in the country.
Research, Information and publications:
- Formulation and sending of proposals to Export Promotion
Council on policy concerns: DCCI examines the policy issues
minutely on a regular basis and participates in the meetings of
the EPC to project their views. The Export Promotion Council
usually meets once a year to look at policy recommendations
forwarded by the private sector trade bodies. In the last meeting
of the EPC it has been agreed upon to increase the frequency of
the meeting to twice a year.
- Standing Committees of the Chamber on Export and International
market promotion: DCCI has a standing committee on this
issue that meets two to three times a year to examine and monitor
the trade environment for formulation of policy recommendations
for consideration of the EPC. A number of trade delegations are
also organised by the DCCI every year to various countries to
establish contacts for promotion of trade and investment.
- Arranging seminars, workshops and dialogues on different
issues related to export promotion: DCCI regularly organises
seminars, dialogues and workshops on trade policy issues to build
consensus on policy recommendations. Two such seminars organised
recently were on Facilitating policies and incentives as an
essential prerequisite for boosting export and Export
competitiveness in the WTO regime.
- Publications: DCCI has a number of regular publications to
help business networking. These include:
- DCCI members directory containing company profiles of about 3000 members both in print and in the WEB (
www.bangla.net/dcci)
- Fortnightly Trade information bulletin circulating trade enquiries of both import and export as received from various agencies of different countries.
- Review, a monthly publication containing articles, editorial comments on economic and business issues, information on business and business environment, chamber news, economic indicators and statistics.
- Tax Guide containing latest tax laws, rule and their interpretations.
In addition DCCI undertakes trade related
publications in association with external agencies on a
regular basis. A couple of such publications undertaken in the
recent past and currently in hand with ITC’s assistance are:
- Trade secrets: An export answer book for the SMEs.
- Secrets of E-Commerce: A guide for the SME exporters.
- Arbitration and alternative dispute resolution: How to settle international business disputes.
Training through DCCI Business Institute:
For capacity building of its members DCCI renders
training facilities on trade related subjects. Some of the training
programmes that were conducted in 2001 were:
- Effective business communication.
- Marketing is everything.
- Building an export and import business.
- LC for exports and import operations.
- Shipping procedures for Export and import.
- How to establish and set-up a joint venture with an European partner.
- E-commerce in export business
- Marketing of software products for export.
- How to develop a distribution network for marketing of products.
Projects:
DCCI also undertakes various projects both on its
own as well as in associations with external agencies to supplement
capacity building and on formulation of policy issues. Some of the
projects that are in hand are:
- DCCI-CIPE Economic reform and Research Advocacy (ERRA) Project.
This project has been undertaken by DCCI in collaboration with the
Centre for International Private Enterprise, an affiliate body of
the US Chamber of Commerce, Washington, USA. Through this project,
different sectoral economic policy papers have been prepares like:
- Policies for development of high value added export oriented
business sectors such as RMG, computer software and databases,
leather and leather goods and agro-based industries.
- Policy considerations on anti-dumping and countervailing duty measures.
- DCCI-TIPS project:
The UNDP created Technological Information
Promotion System (TIPS) in 1986 with the support of the Italian
Government and the participating countries. It was aimed at
fostering technical and economic cooperation among developing
nations. Today TIPS has its network in Asia, Africa, Latin
America, Central and Eastern Europe. Countries of the European
Commission currently supports the extension of the TIPS network to
Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Cambodia,
Laos and Vietnam.
The TIPS national Bureau in Dhaka has been set
up at DCCI in July 2000. It has direct electronic connection with
the TIPS network (www.tipsasia.org)
and also Asia invests Secretariat at Brussels. Its establishment
is based on an agreement of cooperation between the EU and DEVNET.
The main objective of the TIPS Bureau in
Bangladesh is to contribute to the advancement of the country’s
technological and international marketing potential by fostering
intra-regional exchange of commercial opportunities and other
business information and particularly to stimulate, strengthen and
promote economic and business relations between Bangladesh and the
fifteen member countries of the EU. TIPS broadly seeks to provide
services and products related to Trade and Technological
information such as business negotiation, consultative,
promotional and representative linkages between Bangladesh and the
European business entities through its e-commerce network that is
one of the largest in the world.
Main products and services that are offered by
this national Bureau are:
- Promote marketing through Internet: Submit offers and demands in
the net for interaction with millions of traders worldwide.
- Weekly and monthly customised sector specific bulletins on
Technology and Trade information.
- Do business matchmaking for customer’s/member’s of TIPS.
- Online access to TIPS database.
- Links to Chambers of Commerce, Trade Federations and other
organisations in Europe.
- DCCI-World Bank EMS Project:
This project is in progress in collaboration with the WB to
improve the environment management system of our member companies.
20 companies were selected under this programme to educate them
regarding the ISO-14001 through local assistant of the EMS to make
them environment conscious. In addition, regular workshops are
organised under this programme on ISO-14001 to build awareness
among the DCCI members on environmental considerations.
- DCCI Business Advisory Service Project:
This project was undertaken with the financial
and technical assistance of GTZ. The activities under this project
include:
- Assistance in making pre-investment business profiles.
- Organising sector specific trade fairs.
- Organising trade delegations and assistance in market access.
- Organising training programmes for capacity building of the SMEs.
- Design and Technology Centre Project in cooperation with GTZ:
DCCI has set-up a design and Technology Centre in
cooperation with the GTZ of Germany. The objective of the project is
to develop the capabilities of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)
in selected sectors (Textile, Leather, etc.) to design and
manufacture better quality products. This project envisages the
transfer of technology to SMEs through the creation of a product
development service centre under the DCCI. By utilising the services
of this centre, the SMEs will be able to acquire the technical
capability to eventually develop products by themselves (with the
help of the centre) and manufacture products of adequate design and
quality that will be more competitive in the local and foreign
market. The first phase of the project started in February 1999 and
continues till January 2002. The centre is now under construction,
machineries are being installed and recruitment for the centre is in
progress.
Library and business information:
DCCI has a well-stocked trade related library.
Export related information is available in here. DCCI also
undertakes dissemination of information both in print and through
electronic media.
Conclusion:
The private sector in Bangladesh is aware of
need of extensive networking requirement in the present day
business environment. They are therefore keen to develop their
capabilities to cope with the increasing pressure of competition
and take all possible measures through their trade bodies to build
and enhance the necessary network and participate in them. They
are also trying to build, enhance and improve their capacities to
remain in the national and international business. The activities
of DCCI outlined above are a pointer in that direction.
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Posted
18 August 2010