The government has been working to set out a strategy for the country’s missions abroad to boost the export, and a committee has already been formed in this regard, talking to the Bangladesh Post foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said Sunday.
About the dismal performance of some missions, the foreign minister said that coordination will have to be beefed up among the missions and other departments concerned to achieve the export targets.
Dr Momen further said that if the ministries and departments concerned looking after export-related activities hold discussions with the foreign affairs ministry and missions abroad regarding fixing the mission-wise export target, it will be helpful for the missions to set a strategy to achieve the targets.
According to sources at the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), a total of 36 Bangladesh missions, out of a total of 61 worldwide, have failed to achieve their respective export targets in the July-January period of the current fiscal year 2020-2021 (FY21).
Out of the 36 missions, 11 missions- Ottawa, Seoul, Washington, Moscow, Berlin, Algiers, Darussalam, Doha, Male, Colombo and Hanoi, though missed export target but registered export growth during the period compared to the corresponding period of the fiscal year 2019-2020 (FY20), according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).
Export growth of the remaining 25 missions was lower than that of the corresponding period of the previous year.
The missions were Brussels, Beijing, London, Madrid, Geneva, Paris, Tehran, New Delhi, Tokyo, Manama, Brasilia, Athens, Hong Kong, Beirut, Mexico City, Kathmandu, Lisbon, Rome, Tripoli, Manila, Kuwait, Bagdad, Riyadh, Stockholm and New York was lower than that of the corresponding period of FY20. However, 25 missions successfully achieved their export target in the July-January period of FY21.
Considering the dismal scenario of the export, the government recently formed a committee to boost the performance of the missions abroad, according to the foreign ministry.
The well-performing missions are in Canberra, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, Singapore, Dubai, Vienna, Copenhagen, The Hague, Thimphu, Cairo, Amman, Nairobi, Tashkent, Warsaw, Port Luis, Rabat, Muscat, Islamabad, Bangkok, Addis Ababa, Abuja, Bucharest, Jakarta, Pretoria and Ankara.
According to the EPB, the overall export earnings in the period amounted to $22670.24 million against the strategic target of US$ 23,477 million, showing a negative growth of 3.44 per cent.
The data also revealed that out of the 19 missions having commercial wings, only five have achieved their export targets while 14 could not achieve their respective targets in July-January period of FY21.
The five missions with commercial wings, which achieved their respective export target, were Canberra, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, Singapore and Dubai.
Export growths of the five commercial wings, out of the 14 missions, were higher than that of the corresponding period of the previous FY20. They were – Ottawa, Seoul, Washington, Moscow and Berlin.
The export growth of the remaining nine commercial wings, Brussels, Beijing, London, Madrid, Geneva, Paris, Tehran, New Delhi and Tokyo was lower than that of the corresponding period of the previous FY20.
Berlin mission topped the earning chart, followed by Washington and London missions.
The Berlin mission earned $3599.31 million, while Washington and London achieved the target with $4006.7 million and $2360.99 million respectively.
The Madrid mission fetched $1395.72 million during the period of FY21.
The Bangladesh mission in France earned $1149.37 million, followed by missions in Tokyo and Ottawa, with approximately $689.72 million and $ 670.34 million respectively.
The New Delhi mission fetched $755.3 million.
