Rajib Dey :
Commercial Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir met Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh Reto Renggli.
The meeting held at the Commerce Minister’s office in the Secretariat today, Sunday, resulted in fruitful discussions on various aspects of strengthening bilateral trade, investment and economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Switzerland.
It was mentioned in the meeting that Bangladesh and Switzerland have been maintaining cordial relations for a long time and Bangladesh enjoys duty-free access to the Swiss market under the GSP facility.
Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said that most people in Bangladesh are aware of the high quality of Swiss products. Referring to the middle class, which constitutes a significant portion of the population of Bangladesh, he said that if the prices of Swiss products are competitive, they will be able to attract more customers. To that end, increasing investment in the service-oriented sector will benefit both countries.
Khandaker Muktadir said that the Bangladesh government has taken several steps to attract foreign investment. Increasing Swiss investment in promising sectors like pharmaceuticals, leather products, light engineering, shipbuilding industry will provide a stronger foundation for the trade relations between the two countries.
He also said that Bangladesh has requested to postpone the LDC transition process for three years. Bangladesh expects Switzerland’s support in this regard. He also expressed hope that it is possible to further increase the trade volume by increasing communication between the business organizations and chambers of commerce of the two countries and strengthening joint initiatives.
Ambassador Reto Rengli said that the trade deficit between the two countries is very high.
This deficit can be reduced by increasing bilateral trade cooperation. He also said that Switzerland is interested in increasing trade and investment in Bangladesh.
Secretary (Routine Responsibilities) of the Ministry of Commerce Md. Abdur Rahim Khan was present at the meeting.
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