In discussions on achieving double-digit ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index, government officials from different ministries and divisions on Wednesday put emphasis on a digitization of services and continuation of reforms. In the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business 2020 report, Bangladesh ranked 168th out of 190 countries, up from 176th in 2019. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has emphasised improving the status of Bangladesh from 176th to double-digit (Below 100). The officials of the ministries came up with the call at the 5th meeting, held virtually, of the National Committee for Monitoring Implementation of Doing Business Reforms (NCMID) on Tuesday. Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam chaired and moderated the meeting. The Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman participated in the meeting. The Prime Minister had set the target for achieving double-digit ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business by next year, said BIDA Executive Chairman Md. Sirajul Islam. “To achieve the target we must retain and continue improving the achieved reforms. The speed of integrating G2B services, BIDA’s One Stop Service, must be accelerated, as digital services are key drivers to improve the country’s business climate,” added Islam. The reforms carried out within the specific parameters of doing business would stimulate broader reforms for Bangladesh’s business environment, he added. Bangladesh had reported a series of improvements under seven indicators for the World Bank’s upcoming Doing Business 2021 report, he claimed. “Ease of Doing Business is crucial for both new and existing investment. To achieve the targets set by our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we must be focused on investment,” said Salman Fazlur Rahman. He urged the NCMID members to set individual targets for subordinate agencies to ensure speedy implementation of reforms being identified in BIDA’s Doing Business Action Plan. “We have discussed Doing Business requirements in Cabinet meetings. For all of us, it is a fundamental job and by setting effective coordination in motion we must ensure the progress of reforms,” said Khandker Anwarul Islam. The participants also stressed the need for automation to improve the quality of service. “Automation required for e-trade license will be carried out by the city corporations in Dhaka and Chattogram, ” said Helal Uddin Ahmed, Senior Secretary, Local Government Division. The reforms would positively impact the indicators on starting a business, he added. Additionally, the meeting also accorded importance to the issuance of permits for low-risk green category buildings through fast track basis. “We are working to ensure an effective generation and distribution of power,” said Sultan Ahmed, Secretary, Power Division. The System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI)/System and Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI) targets would be met through the implementation of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) for monitoring outages and power restoration, he said.
