Business Correspondent
Ministry of Finance has signed a contract with the Association of Export Oriented Shipbuilding Industries of Bangladesh (AEOSIB) on Saturday to provide Tk Tk29.42cr in the next three years to develop workers' skill in the shipbuilding sector.
Under the agreement signed at Chittagong Boat Club, at Patenga, Chittagong on Saturday, the Skills for Employment Investment Programme (SEIP) of the Finance Division under Ministry of Finance, some 10,000 workers of the shipbuilding industry will be trained up in various fields in the next three years, said a press release.
It will be the first cooperation between the Finance Ministry and the AEOSIB, under which the shipbuilding industry will is receive the fund from SEIP.
Under the agreement 2,000 workers will be trained up in the 1st year followed by 5,500 and 2,500 workers in the 2nd and the 3rd year respectively.
AEOSIB General Secretary Sakhawat Hossain and SEIP National Project Director, Additional Secretary Jalal Ahmed signed the contract on behalf of the AEOSIB and Finance Ministry respectively.
Additional Secretary Jalal Ahmed was the Chief Guest in the occasion whereas SEIP Executive Project and Additional Secretary Abdur Rouf Chowdhury and Bangladesh Employers' Federation President Salahuddin Kasem Khan Salahuddin Kasem Khan were special guests.
SEIP- Skills for Employment Investment Programme is an ADB (Asian Development Bank) funded scheme for skill development in various opportune sectors of Bangladesh.
The shipbuilders are very much optimistic on this 3 years programme and hope it will take the skill level in the shipbuilding industry to a greater height.
With more competent workforce in the industry the efficiency and productivity in shipbuilding will grow and it will help them in being more competent in the international market.
During the signing ceremony Jalal Ahmed hoped the programme will help workers to attain efficiency and become more productive for boosting in the national economy.
Sakhawat Hossain said with the improved skill the workforce in the industry will be able to secure more orders from the global market and the growth in shipbuilding can contribute in making Bangladesh to a Middle Income Country.
Shipbuilding in Bangladesh has emerged as one of the fastest growing exporting industries in the country and in last 5 years the sector has exported ships to Germany, Denmark, Finland, Ecuador, New Zealand, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique and Pakistan.
At present ships are being constructed for Kenya, Gambia, UAE India. So far they have earned foreign currency worth of Tk1,500 crore, said the press release.