Bangladesh, Netherlands to set up Tk 150cr ship assembling yard

Hollander Scholtens, a leading company of the Netherlands, has signed an agreement with local shipbuilder Delta Stream Shipbuilding Ltd to set up a ship assembling yard in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh-Netherlands joint venture shipyard with all modern technologies would be set up at Gojaria of Munshiganj district with an investment of Taka 150crore.

Jacob Gnodde, a member of the 17-member Dutch trade delegation, which is now visiting Bangladesh, disclosed this while talking to reporters after a meeting with business leaders in the conference room of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) here. The delegation members are mainly from maritime consultant, ship building and sea transport related companies.

DCCI president Abul Kasem Khan chaired the meeting. President of Bangladesh-Dutch Chamber of Commerce (BDCCI) Fredrik Oldenhuizing moderated the function, which was joined, among others, by director of Board of Investment (BOI) Tofazzal Hossain Mia, DCCI director TIM Nurul Kabir and a good number of trade body leaders.

Jacob Gnodde said technical drawing of the planned shipyard has been completed while land acquisition for the project is now under process.

Appreciating Bangladesh’s shipbuilding progress, he said the country is likely to become a shipbuilding leader because of its cost-effectiveness.

Tofazzal Hossain said Bangladesh’s shipbuilding industry has a good prospect as it has already been recognized as a ship- exporting nation in the world. “We always welcome foreign direct investment (FDI) and there is no restriction for investment in Bangladesh, rather there are incentives for foreign investors here,” he said.

Abul Kasem informed the delegation that a target has been set to turn Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2015 by eliminating illiteracy, enhancing contribution to industrial sector and increasing per capita income up to at least US$2000.

Traffic congestion and utility problems are the main barriers to higher economic growth, Fredrik Oldenhuizing said and added those problems should be resolved on an urgent basis.

The bilateral trade between Bangladesh and the Netherlands is increasing gradually as in 2009-10, export of Bangladesh to the Netherlands was 1016.88 million US dollars against import of 128.40 million US dollar, according to statistics of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

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