Govt moves to simplify procedures in shipbuilding, recycling sectors
Muktadir also raised financing challenges and complications surrounding outstanding loans in the shipbuilding sector.
The government has taken steps to simplify approval procedures and remove institutional complexities to strengthen the international competitiveness of Bangladesh's shipbuilding and ship recycling industries, Commerce and Industry Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said today (6 October).
He made the remarks at a meeting of a committee formed to review existing laws, rules and policies governing the ship recycling industry and make recommendations, held at the Ministry of Commerce's conference room at the Secretariat.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintu chaired the meeting, which was also attended by Shipping State Minister Rajib Ahsan.
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Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said Bangladesh must improve its capabilities to compete with other countries for shipbuilding orders in the international market. He stressed simplifying domestic procedures by taking the policies of leading shipbuilding nations as benchmarks.
He said a special committee led by him is working to simplify rules and procedures, with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) also involved.
The minister stressed that policies must be practical and enforceable, saying merely enacting laws would not be enough without ensuring their proper implementation.
The meeting discussed waste management, yard modernisation, compliance with environmental standards, and delays in obtaining approvals. Participants also discussed allowing relevant clearances and file approvals to be processed from Chattogram to reduce delays.
He also raised financing challenges and complications surrounding outstanding loans in the shipbuilding sector.
Referring to limitations faced by banks, he said efforts should focus on finding ways to overcome the sector's current difficulties rather than spending excessive time dealing with complications arising from old loans.
Govt plans faster TSDF implementation
Environment Minister Abdul Awal Mintu said the absence of a Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) was causing parties associated with European vessels to hesitate about working in Bangladesh and opt for alternative destinations.
He directed authorities to expedite the establishment of the waste-management infrastructure to help the ship recycling industry meet international environmental standards and strengthen its competitiveness.
The meeting also discussed the need to establish green yards in line with the Hong Kong Convention and decentralise the Department of Environment's clearance process.
Industry Secretary Abdun Naser Khan said a working group for a one-stop service platform had begun work to streamline ship recycling activities.
The meeting also discussed processing approvals from Chattogram to avoid delays of 45-60 days and reduce the time required to complete procedures.
Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said Bangladesh would prioritise implementation of the Hong Kong Convention to make the ship recycling sector more environmentally friendly and bring it up to international standards.
If there are gaps or ambiguities in implementing the convention, he said, these could be addressed through a national certificate.
