TDS Desk:

Finance and Commerce Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed said the government’s aim is to facilitate business growth. No rules were followed in the last 16 years when the business sector was plagued by unending corruption and misrule.

He said the government is working to restore order in every field by strengthening law and order. In one reference he said banks have lost Tk 18,000 crore through manifolds corruption and mismanagement.

He said this after a meeting when leaders of American Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh (AMCHAM) called on him on Wednesday. The meeting was held in the conference room of the Ministry of Finance at Bangladesh Secretariat.

The meeting held fruitful discussions on trade facilitation, taming inflation, tariff reduction, shipping, port hurdles, traffic congestion and increasing cashless transactions.

Regarding the traffic jam, the Advisor said, “There is often traffic jam in Dhaka, I see cars moving in the opposite direction even in Gulshan-Banani areas. One crore traffic police cannot be appointed for 18 crore people.”

Amcham representatives demanded introduction of deferred payment (delayed payment) modernity and cash incentive (cash support) in digital payments in international trade.

Commerce Ministry Secretary Salim Uddin, Amcham President Syed Ershad Ahmed, Executive Member Mainul Haque, Rubaba Daula were present in the meeting.