Search results for: EC

UNCTAD asks Israel to end Gaza occupation that cost $16.7b in past decade

FE ONLINE REPORT 2020-11-26 19:38:21

The continued Israeli occupation brings the Gaza Strip in near-collapse as the cost is estimated at $16.70 billion in the past decade, 2007–2018 period to be specific. The latest report of the...

Switzerland keen to deepen economic ties with Bangladesh, says envoy

UNB 2020-11-26 18:21:26

Switzerland wants to strengthen and widen its ties with Bangladesh to explore ‘amazing potential’ together as Bangladesh is set to celebrate its 50 years of independence next year with Vis...

IOM launches app to provide information on safe migration

FE ONLINE REPORT 2020-11-26 18:14:39

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched a mobile application on Wednesday to provide information on safe migration. IOM developed the app and information platform, BdeshJaatra (ht...

European tourism industry sees partial recovery amid pandemic

-- 2020-11-26 13:36:32

The European tourism industry only partially recovered amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as the contraction of the tourist accommodation sector moderated in summer, according to a Eurostat report. The Euro...

Dhaka weighs possibility of joining RCEP, but chance little

SYFUL ISLAM 2020-11-26 12:35:51

Bangladesh's inclusion in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) would be an uphill task, given the high tariff gap between Dhaka...

Private port to handle bulk cargoes to facilitate trade with India

Doulot Akter Mala 2020-11-26 10:36:35

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has allowed Summit Alliance Port Limited (SAPL) to handle exports and imports of bulk and non-containerised cargoes to facilitate bilateral trade with India. Fro...

Dictated credit, lack of bad borrowers' data blamed for swelling NPL

FE REPORT 2020-11-26 10:27:14

Bankers and academicians have cited overfinancing, dictated credit, lack of sufficient information and database of bad borrowers as key reasons for rising non-performing loan (NPL) in Bangladesh. B...

New alliance launched to help Bangladeshi farmers thrive

FE Online Report 2020-11-25 17:11:08

Farm entrepreneurswill be able operate through ‘Better Life Farming’ centres, which will provide agri-inputs, crop advisory and market linkages under one roof to smallholder farmers. Laun...

India bans 43 more Chinese mobile apps including Aliexpress

-- 2020-11-25 13:28:39

India banned 43 mobile apps on Tuesday, including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s e-commerce app Aliexpress, in a new wave of web sanctions targeted at China after the neighbours’ months-long...

IMF chief says add’l monetary stimulus may pose risks to financial stability

-- 2020-11-25 13:23:52

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has said that additional monetary stimulus may pose important risks to financial stability, urging fiscal policy to play a sign...

Bangladesh’s forex reserves cross $41b again

FE Online Report 2020-11-25 12:55:56

Bangladesh’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves crossed the US$41 billion-mark again on Wednesday following lower import payment obligations and higher growth of inward remittance. The forex res...

Non-tariff barriers may be discussed at Indo-Bangladesh talks

MIR MOSTAFIZUR RAHAMAN 2020-11-25 10:02:11

Foreign Secretary (FS) Masud Bin Momen is scheduled to visit Delhi on December 9 to join Bangladesh-India FS-level talks, which will mainly focus on the upcoming meeting between the prime ministers of...

Tony Blair Institute and Oracle launch Africa Vaccine Management in the Cloud

FE Online Desk 2020-11-24 19:21:38

November 24, 2020, Dhaka: The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) and Oracle have brought cloud technology to Africa to manage public health programs. Initially, Ghana, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone will use t...

Elon Musk overtakes Bill Gates to become world's second-richest person

-- 2020-11-24 19:13:03

Tesla Inc Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk has toppled Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as the world’s second-richest person. Elon Musk overtook Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to become the t...

US ambassador to Bangladesh meets CEO of PPP Authority

FE Online Report 2020-11-24 17:05:16

Earl R Millar, ambassador of the United States to Bangladesh paid a courtesy call to  Sultana Afroz, secretary to the Bangladesh government and CEO of the Public-Private Partnership Authority (PP...

Covid causes nearly 40pc decline in FDI inflow into Bangladesh

FE Online Report 2020-11-24 15:21:03

The net inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bangladesh declined by 39 per cent in the past fiscal year (FY20) over the previous one (FY19), according to the latest statistics released by the...

Bangladesh may get $500m more WB fund for vaccine procurement

FHM HUMAYAN KABIR 2020-11-24 09:59:31

The World Bank (WB) has assured Bangladesh of providing US$500 million worth of funds for procuring coronavirus vaccine to be to inoculated all citizens gradually, officials said on Monday. "The WB...

Recovery slower in the informal economy

Narayan Das and Asma Tabassum 2020-11-23 16:13:50

In South Asia, three-quarters of workers depend on informal employment. The informal economy of Bangladesh constitutes of 86.2 per cent of the total employed population (aged 15 years or older) (Labou...

Sri Lanka to open $250m tire factory in 2021

-- 2020-11-23 14:16:59

A 250-million-US-dollar tire manufacturing plant in Sri Lanka's western town of Horana is scheduled to open in January 2021, local media reported on Monday. The factory built by the Rigid Tyre Cor...

Singapore narrows 2020 GDP growth forecast to -6.5 to -6pc

-- 2020-11-23 12:38:37

Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has said that it narrowed the gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for 2020 to "-6.5 to -6 per cent" from "-7 to -5 per cent." The ministry on...

EPB lowers service charge on exports to EU

MONIRA MUNNI 2020-11-23 10:36:41

The state-owned Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) has reduced the service charges under the registered exporter system of the European Union following the demand from apparel makers, officials say. The E...

Dhaka urges Delhi not to impose fresh NTBs, and widen trade gap

SYFUL ISLAM 2020-11-23 10:04:08

Bangladesh has requested India to withdraw its new customs rules which, officials fear, may make it difficult for the former to get tariff preferences. Dhaka made the request to New Delhi after a tho...

Can BD maintain its competitiveness with RCEP countries?

Khondaker Golam Moazzem 2020-11-22 20:49:09

The signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) on November 15 took many by surprise. Trade pundits are excited about this agreement.  Firstly because, countries involved in...

Taiwan's manufacturing output decline again

-- 2020-11-22 15:17:54

The production value of Taiwan's manufacturing industries totaled 3.2 trillion new Taiwan dollars (about 112 billion US dollars) in the third quarter of this year, down 4.56 per cent year on year, acc...

G20 leaders vow to help poorer countries in post-Covid world

-- 2020-11-22 11:24:39

Leaders of the 20 biggest economies on Saturday vowed to ensure a fair distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, drugs and tests around the world and do what was needed to support poorer countries struggling...

Extravagance with public money!

FHM HUMAYAN KABIR 2020-11-22 10:06:32

The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has proposed a staggering Tk 228.52 million for some non-essentials as part of its power supply to Hatiya and three other southern islands. Under the pre...

35 companies excluded from large taxpayers' unit

DOULOT AKTER MALA 2020-11-22 10:00:11

The average annual VAT payment by 35 large taxpayers has remained below Tk 100 million during the last three years in a sign their financial health has deteriorated, officials said. The large taxpaye...

Development indicators need to be made inclusive, say policy thinkers  

FE ONLINE REPORT   2020-11-21 23:05:00

Powerful groups in society push their own agendas to frame development indicators ignoring the commoners’ wellbeing, a panel of experts said on Saturday, calling for liberating such indicators f...

G20 leaders to discuss post-Covid recovery plan

REUTERS 2020-11-21 13:03:33

Leaders of the 20 biggest world economies (G20) will debate this weekend how to deal with the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic that has caused a global recession and how to manage the recovery once the...

iDEA project receives WITSA award in Public-Private Partnership category

FE Online Report 2020-11-21 10:34:17

‘Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (iDEA) project’ of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) under ICT Division has received international honour in the Public-Private Partnership...