Welcome to the Presentation on the Activities of the Ministry of Commerce

1. Welcome to the Presentation on the Activities of the Ministry of Commerce January 2008

2. Allocation of Business • Import Policy formulation • Export Policy formulation and export promotion • Price Control • State Trading • Companies Act, Partnership Act, Societies and Trade Organization Ordinance and Law of Insurance • Promotion and regulation of internal commerce and insurance • Commodity issues

3. Allocation of Business (contd.) • Tariff policy • World Trade Organization and International Trade Organizations • Administration of 19 Commercial Wings of Bangladesh Missions abroad • Administration of BCS Trade Cadre • Liaison with international organizations and world bodies related to treaties and agreements • Administration of sub-ordinate offices and organizations under MOC.

4. Wings/Cells in the MOC • Administration Wing • Foreign Trade Agreement (FTA) Wing • Export Wing • Insurance and Internal Trade Wing (IIT) • World Trade Organization (WTO) Cell • Planning Cell • Textile Cell and • Director, Trade Organizations (DTO)

5. Organizations under MOC • Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) • Bangladesh Tariff Commission (BTC) • Department of Insurance • Office of Chief Controller of Imports and Exports (CCI&E) • Bangladesh Tea Board • Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms • Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) • Sadharan Bima Corporation • Jiban Bima Corporation • Bangladesh Insurance Academy • Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute– Public/Private Partnership

6. World Trade in Goods in 2006 and Bangladesh (US$) • World merchandise exports: $11.76 trillion • Growth of merchandise export: 15% • Developing countries share: 36% • LDCs share: 0.9% • Bangladesh’s export in 2006-07: US $ 12,177 million • Export Growth of Bangladesh: 15.69%

7. World Trade in Services in 2006 and Bangladesh (US$) • Global Commercial services exports: $2.71 trillion • Growth of services export : 11% • Commercial Services in Bangladesh, 2006: • Export :US $ 493 million • Import: US $ 2,320 million • Deficit: - US $ 1,827 million • Remittance flow in 2006-07: 5998.47 million • Services share of Bangladesh in world trade: 0.02%

8. Administration Wing • Administration of the Ministry of Commerce • Administration of the Sub-ordinate offices of the Ministry of Commerce • Administration of BCS (Trade) Cadre • Budget

9. Manpower Position

10. FTA Wing Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) of Bangladesh • South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) • Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) • Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) [former Bangkok Agreement] • D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement • Trade Preferential System among the members of OIC (TPS-OIC) • International and multilateral organizations including UNCTAD, EC, ITC, UN-ESCAP, WB etc.

11. Export Wing • Compliance monitoring • Export Policy formulation, clarification, etc,. Export Policy, 2006-09 was published in June, 2007 • Export facilitation- problems & trade disputes resolution; • Export target fixation & performance monitoring; • Selection of CIPs & Export trophy distribution; • Bilateral Trade Agreement - negotiations & signing; • Export Promotional activities (fairs, trade missions, etc.); • Export diversification & capacity building activities (Business Promotion Council); • Monitoring & evaluation of Mission (19) activities

12. Export Target & achievements from 2001-02 to 2006-07 (Million US$)

13. IIT Wing • Policy matters relating to Import. Import policy, 2006-2009 was published in May, 2007 • Policy matters relating to Insurance • Policy matters relating to ICAB & ICMAB • Price Management of essential commodities

14. Import Expenditures and Export Earnings in million US $ (2000-01 to 2006-07)

15. World Trade Organization (WTO) and Bangladesh • World Trade Organization (WTO) was established in 01 January, 1995 after eight rounds of trade negotiations; • Facilitate multilateral trade negotiations, settle trade disputes, administers trade policies of the member countries, facilitates the implementation of the WTO agreements; • Present WTO Members : 151+1 (including 32 LDCs); • Bangladesh is the founding member of WTO; • Lesotho is now the coordinator in the WTO.

16. WTO Cell • A WTO Cell was established in the Ministry of Commerce in October, 2003; • WTO Cell overseas the current negotiations in the WTO, liaisons with Geneva Mission and prepares the country position; • WTO negotiations remains stalled since July, 2006 and draft modalities on agriculture and NAMA were published; • Negotiations are now proceeding intensively with a view to completing DDA negotiations by March, 2008.

17. Textile Cell • Designs strategy to combat post MFA challenges • Provides Policy supports towards enhancing RMG exports • Monitors and evaluate RMG related export earnings • Facilitate RMG exports by helping to reduce obstacles • Provides secretarial support servicesto Social Compliance Forum in RMG.

18. Planning Cell Development Projects under ADP (2006-2007) in ml Tk.

19. Important Works Ahead • Price Monitoring and establishment of a permanent monitoring cell with 11 officials and staffs • Achievement of export target; • Diversification of export considering future vision; • Consumer Right Protection Ordinance, 2007 • Competition policy • Insurance Ordinance, 2007 • Insurance Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2007; • Duty free and quota free market access • Pursue for pass the New Partnership Development Act (NPDA) in US Congress; • Appropriate role of state in a market economy;

20. Important Works Ahead • Ensuring compliance in the RMG sector; • Preparation for UNCTAD XII session to be held in 20-25April, 2008 in Ghana, Acra; • Participation in the LDC trade ministers’ meeting to be held in Lesotho in 27-29, February, 2008; • SAFTA Committee of Expert meeting and SAFTA Ministerial Council to be held in 2-3 March, 2008 in New Delhi; • Up-scaling policy presence of MOC; • Human resource development of MOC.

21. Thank you.