The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) has proposed a 36-member body forum headed by the Chief Adviser, for the proposed Better Business Forum (BBF) with equal incorporation of private sector representatives and government officials in it.

The public-private platform is being formed to involve the business community in policymaking, incorporating government's policymakers, chief of army staff, business leaders, civil society members and economists.

As the government sought business leaders' feedback on its draft proposal sent earlier, the apex business body yesterday placed its recommendations to Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed FBCCI president Mir Nasir Hossain informed the journalists.

"We proposed to reduce the size of the Forum and ensure greater representation from the private sector," he said while talking to his FBCCI office yesterday.

On September 5, Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed proposed forming the forum at a dialogue between the government and businessmen. Meanwhile International Finance Corporation (IFC), a subsidiary of the World Bank, earlier recommended formation of a forum to help establish a formal platform for sustained dialogue between the public and private sectors.

The Government accepted the proposal and requested IFC to place detailed modalities to this effect. The IFC accordingly took a project, floated tenders and appointed consultants, sources concerned said.

The business community in Bangladesh also hailed it as they think, the proposed forum will help easy removal of the bottlenecks in discussion at the high-powered body.

The Chief Adviser will be the Chairman of BBF while the Finance Adviser will be its executive chairman. The private sector yesterday proposed representation of the FBCCI president in the Forum as the apex trade body chief.

They also proposed inducting representation of government officials only from the ministries and other government agencies related to promotion of business and economy while the private sector representatives would come from important sectors.

The private sector also proposed to form nine working groups to deal with problems relating to areas like import, export, ports, investment, banking and so on. The draft modality had proposed forming six working groups.

"We've also suggested terms of reference for the working groups," FBCCI president Nasir said, replying to a question.

He added that they suggested selecting priority of the working groups within two and half months, and necessary amendments to the relevant laws to facilitate businesses.

Asked about the duration of the high-powered body, he said initially it should be for a term as long as the caretaker government is in power and any extension of the body would depend on the next elected government. "We will prefer to continue the functioning of the Forum.