BSS-28 Bangladesh-Indonesia to sign JMS this month

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ZCZC

BSS-28

TOFAIL-PTA-INDONESIA

Bangladesh-Indonesia to sign JMS this month

DHAKA, Jan 22, 2018 (BSS) – Bangladesh and Indonesia will sign Joint
Ministerial Statement (JMS) this month for the Preferential Trade Agreement
(PTA) towards removing trade barriers.

“Commerce ministers of both the countries will sign the JMS during the
visit of Indonesian President to Bangladesh in the end of this month,”
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told media today after a meeting with
Indonesian Ambassador Rina Soemarno at his ministry office.

He said high tariff imposed by Indonesia has appeared as hindrance for
exporting Bangladesh’s main export item -readymade garments (RMG) to its
market.

So, the PTA would help to overcome the barriers in boosting export of
Bangladeshi products, especially RMG to Indonesian market, hoped the
minister.

He said initiative has been taken for mutual visit of business delegations
of both the countries to increase bilateral trade, and hoped that the
businessmen would improve the trade scenario identifying the potential
sectors.

The commerce minister also requested the Indonesian envoy to provide duty
and quota free access to Bangladeshi products which is supposed to take
place, as the member of least developed countries, in line with WTO decision.

In the fiscal 2016-17, import volume of Bangladesh from Indonesia was $
1107 million against the export of only $ 46.39 million.

Commerce secretary Shubhashish Bose and additional secretary Tapan Kanti
Ghosh were present.

BSS/PR/MAK/ARS/1807 hrs