Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – The BBN (Bangladesh Business News) has prepared the morning business round up compiling reports, published by different newspapers and news portals in Bangladesh.

Integrated savings tools policy in the offing
The government is close to formulating a new policy on national savings instruments with setting an investment ceiling of Tk 10 million on three schemes, according to Department of National Savings.

Bangladesh trade deficit widens slightly in five months
Bangladesh’s trade deficit widened slightly in the first five months of this fiscal year (FY), as the rate of export growth fell more than the import one that indicates a sluggish trend of the economy. The overall trade gap widened by 0.42 per cent to $ 6.68 billion during the period under review from $ 6.65 billion in the same period of FY ’19, according the central bank’s latest data.

BB relaxes cash incentive for apparel, textile exports

Bangladesh Bank (BB) on Tuesday relaxed one per cent cash incentive provision for apparel and textile exports. The central bank issued a circular to the authorized dealers of banks in this regard. The circular made current beneficiaries of duty draw-back facility or bonded warehouse facility eligible for the incentive.

Living in Dhaka became 6.5pc dearer last year

Living costs in Dhaka soared 6.5 percent in 2019 on the back of spiralling prices of essential commodities and services, said Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) yesterday. “There are some ominous signs from the beginning of this year,” said CAB President Ghulam Rahman at a press conference, citing the hike in prices of liquefied petroleum gas cylinder just on the first day of the 2020 and beginning of the process of hike in electricity tariff.

Stocks continue bleeding as banks rocked by rate concern
Dhaka stocks kept sinking for the third day on Tuesday as bank scrips continued to take a beating amid the investors’ deepening worry about the banks’ profits on the eve of the implementation of single-digit lending rate. DSEX, the prime index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, lost 1.16 per cent, or 50.52 points, to close at 4,281.43 points on Tuesday, hitting almost a 45-month low.

Average inflation up, marginally, in 2019
The average inflation rate has increased by 0.04 percentage points for the 12 months in the just-concluded year 2019 to 5.59 per cent due to some volatility in commodity markets in the country, official figures show. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) data unveiled on Tuesday, the average inflation rate was 5.59 per cent in 2019 as against 5.55 per cent for the previous calendar year 2018.

Bullet train for only Dhaka-Ctg route: PM
Bangladesh will have only one route for bullet train and it will run between Dhaka and Chattogram, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said yesterday. The premier shared the information during an unscheduled discussion at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), a senior official of the planning ministry, who was present in the meeting, told The Daily Star.

Akij invests Tk300cr to produce hygienic mango juice

Akij Food and Beverage Limited (AFBL), a sister concern of Akij Group, has invested Tk300 crore to establish an aseptic mango juice plant at its Dhamrai factory. The plant will produce mango juice Frutika and Aafi juice in an aseptic process that prevents any microbiological germs and help the juices remain drinkable without refrigeration for a long time.

BBN/SSR/AD