The Financial Express

Search results for: EC

FDI flow far lower than pledged in three years

FE REPORT 2020-02-14 10:45:18

Investment in Bangladesh by overseas firms was far below their initial pledges in the past three consecutive years through 2018. Such a picture was painted in a written speech by AKM Mozammel Haque,...

Interest rate cap: Private banks' apathy could slow execution, says Fitch

FE REPORT 2020-02-14 10:07:32

Global ratings agency Fitch warns the execution of an interest rate cap will pose "severe" downside risks to Bangladesh's financial stability. "We believe an eventual implementation of a blanket inte...

Finance Minister denies observation of declining revenue collection

-- 2020-02-13 20:48:05

Finance Minister said revenue collection has not dropped in the current fiscal year compared to that of the previous fiscal, amid economists’ observation that revenue collection is declining and...

SDG agenda progress may come up for review in April

Rezaul Karim 2020-02-13 11:38:36

The government is set to review the progress in attainment of sustainable development goals (SDGs) this April, officials said. The progress in the development agenda implementation is likely to come...

Surplus funds in banks hit Tk 1.0tn, again

Siddique Islam 2020-02-13 10:03:08

Banks' excess liquidity has crossed the Tk 1.0 trillion-mark again, fuelled by lower private credit growth in a sign that the investment situation has cooled. Surplus cash surged by nearly 19 per cen...

Coronavirus to affect tourism, aviation sectors

-- 2020-02-12 20:49:30

Coronavirus outbreak in China, which has spread to two dozen countries, will negatively affect Bangladesh’s tourism and aviation sectors, a senior government official said Wednesday. “The...

UK to make social media platforms responsible for harmful content

Reuters 2020-02-12 16:56:15

Britain has decided to make social media companies --- such as Facebook, Twitter and Snap --- responsible for blocking or removing harmful content on their platforms. A duty of care will be imposed t...

India’s persistent anti-dumping duty: Dhaka may turn to WTO for redressal

SYFUL ISLAM 2020-02-12 10:09:39

As India declined to lift the anti-dumping duty on Bangladeshi goods, the commerce ministry high-ups have asked one of its wings to start dispute settlement procedure in the World Trade Organisation (...

ECNEC clears nine projects worth Tk 24.22 billion

-- 2020-02-11 15:36:29

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday approved nine projects involving Tk 24.22 billion (2422.27 crore). The approval came from the weekly ECNEC meeting held at...

Samsung to unveil square-shaped foldable phones to challenge Apple

-- 2020-02-11 13:20:05

Samsung Electronics is set to unveil a new, square-shaped foldable smartphone and updated versions of its flagship Galaxy S range on Tuesday, seeking to revive sales after ceding its smartphone crown...

Trump's $4.8t budget gets chilly reception from Congress

REUTERS 2020-02-11 12:26:25

President Donald Trump’s $4.8 trillion budget plan for the coming fiscal year drew a prompt rejection on Monday from congressional Democrats, who said it betrayed his promise to protect popular...

Coronavirus impact: Disruption in supply chain worries RMG exporters

FHM HUMAYAN KABIR 2020-02-11 10:52:19

Bangladesh's clothing industry is likely to be seriously affected by the impact of coronavirus as the country imports almost half its raw materials requirement for the sector, exporters say. They sai...

Japan's current account surplus up 4.0pc in 2019

-- 2020-02-10 12:16:14

Japan's current account surplus increased 4.4 per cent in 2019 compared to a year earlier to reach 20.06 trillion yen (183 billion US dollars), up for the first time in two years, government statistic...

WB to support 1,200 women-owned businesses

-- 2020-02-09 16:40:06

The World Bank Group together with WE Connect International on Sunday launched a project to help 1,200 women-owned businesses connect with potential large local and multinational corporate buyers. Wo...

Nominal wage rate increases by 6.56pc in January

FE ONLINE REPORT 2020-02-08 14:55:52

Country’s nominal wage rate index (WRI) increased by 6.56 per cent in January this year over the same period of last year, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). It also show...

Facebook’s Twitter, Instagram accounts hacked

-- 2020-02-08 10:29:16

Facebook's social media accounts were temporarily taken over by a group of hackers on Friday afternoon. The hacking group OurMine posted on the Twitter and Instagram accounts for Facebook and Messeng...

Malaysia's int’l reserves stand at $104.2b

-- 2020-02-07 16:04:53

Malaysia's central bank has said that its international reserves stood at 104.2 billion US dollars as of Jan. 31, 2020. Bank Negara, the central bank of the country, on Friday said in a statement tha...

Focus on harnessing blue economy’s potential

DOULOT AKTER MALA 2020-02-07 10:50:32

The proposed marine fisheries act has focused on the blue economy with incorporating a number of issues including mariculture. Its new provision will also empower the government to check illegal, unr...

Eight local industries to enjoy tax holiday: FM

-- 2020-02-06 20:22:51

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Thursday said the government has decided to give 100 to 20 per cent tax holiday to eight local industries for their development. “The eight new local indus...

Non-food inflation increases in January

FE Online Report 2020-02-06 16:43:51

Monthly non-food inflation rate increased to 6.30 per cent in January from 5.55 per cent in December, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). Nevertheless, food inflation dropped to 5.12...

India's central bank holds rates steady

-- 2020-02-06 15:27:15

India's central bank held rates steady on Thursday and retained an accommodative policy stance as it sought to support faltering growth and avoid stoking already high inflation levels. The Reserve Ba...

Microsoft fixes Windows 10 search bar fault

-- 2020-02-06 12:14:53

Microsoft has fixed a glitch in Windows 10 that meant one of the operating system's core features stopped working. Dozens posted on social media that Windows Search had stopped working for them on We...

Qatar reopens labour market for Bangladeshis

-- 2020-02-05 19:29:10

Qatar has reopened its labour market for Bangladeshi workers after a closure for several months. Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad told UNB on Wednesday that the decis...

South Korea's online shopping hits record high in 2019

-- 2020-02-05 15:39:00

South Korea's online shopping hit a new record high last year as demand soared for food delivery through smartphone applications, statistical office data showed Wednesday. Shopping in the cyberspace...

Country backpedals on growth goal

FHM HUMAYAN KABIR 2020-02-05 10:03:55

Bangladesh backtracks from its ambitious economic growth target as it takes a 'conservative approach' amid possible local and global shocks, analysts have said. In its next eighth five-year plan (FYP...

'Policy reforms meaningful if business community gets real benefits'

FE ONLINE REPORT 2020-02-04 19:24:53

If the business community gets real benefits due to policy reforms, then the government’s initiatives to uphold Bangladesh’s position in the ease of doing business index would add value....

Exports see downtrend in July-Jan

FE Online Report 2020-02-04 19:10:47

Merchandise shipments fell by 5.21 per cent during the first seven months of current fiscal year (FY20), as export earnings continue to witness downtrend in recent months. Total export earnings from...

Merchandise trade gap crosses $8.0b in H1

FE Online Report 2020-02-04 17:06:55

Country’s merchandise trade gap with the rest of the world crossed $8.0 billion level during the first half (H1) of current fiscal year (FY20). Central bank statistics, released on Tuesday, sho...

Economists say money elites sway policies

FE REPORT 2020-02-04 09:53:16

A nexus between political elites and their business counterparts is influencing policy-making process, experts said on Monday. They said this stands in the way of equal distribution of economic devel...

Modi's guarded stimulus unlikely to revive Indian growth

REUTERS 2020-02-03 14:59:41

India’s new budget is unlikely to drag Asia’s third- biggest economy out of its worst slowdown in more than a decade as the government has proposed only moderate spending increases and sma...