Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni today informed the House that the government is making allout efforts to continue the Generalized System of Preference (GSP) facilities as well as further expanding its area in the United States market.
“The government has already submitted a letter on its position to the US authorities and we are hopeful that the GSP facilities for Bangladesh would continue,” she said replying to a question from Jatiya party lawmaker AKM Maidul Islam.
The letter contains a detailed description on the steps and the plans the government and other trade bodies have taken, and how empowerment of the women is being possible by creating employment opportunity for the females in the readymade garment sector, the foreign minister said.
Besides, she said, the letter also contains a description on how the women are being involved in the mainstream of the economic activities and the commitment of the government and concerned trade bodies to improve the work atmosphere for the workers including the fire safety.
Dipu Moni said the Bangladesh Embassy in the United State is projecting Dhaka’s strong position to the concerned US offices, including the Congress members and the media.
In this connection, the foreign minister said: “Though there is no scope for determining that who will be responsible for cancellation of the GSP facilities we are witnessing deep grief and shame that Leader of the Opposition Begum Khaleda Zia has called upon the US government to withdraw the GSP facilities by writing an article in the Washington Times.
“There might be a disagreement with the government. But the people would surely want a reply why she (Khaleda Zia) has taken this suicidal initiative tarnishing the people’s interest,” she said.
The foreign minister said the GSP is one of the six existing systems for giving duty concession on trade in the US which has been introduced in 1976 for speeding up the economic growth of the developing countries.
She said though Bangladesh has gotten the GSP facilities, the number of exportable goods that have been brought under GSP facilities is not enough.
“Bangladesh’s annual export income from the USA is about five billion dollars (2011), of which only 26.3 million dollars come under GSP facilities,” she said.
Dipu Moni said though the amount of Bangladesh’s export is limited under the GSP facilities, the country might be affected to a great extent if the GSP facilities are withdrawn, suspended or limited.
BBN/SSR/AD-10Feb13-9:15 pm (BST)
