Businesses are facing huge sufferings due to anomalies in the government customs policies, alleged leading ICT and computer entrepreneurs. Addressing a discussion meeting titled "The ICT and Computer Sector: The future growth engine", they sought immediate intervention of the government to end their sufferings. ICT Secretary Sish Haider Chowdhury was present as the chief gust in the meeting organised by Computer Solutions Inc ICSI) and its Chinese partner EKSA on Monday evening. "We have requested the NBR to remove the anomalies in the past but it did not work and now we hope that the present government will take proper action to resolve our problem," Zahirul Islam, Chairman of Smart Technology, told the meeting. Many entrepreneurs have invested in the hi-tech park but all of them have incurred huge loss as they are frequently being harassed by the customs authorities, he alleged.
They have to face unbearable troubles in releasing their consignments which are being imported by the industries of the Hi-tech park, he added. Mohammad Abul Hasan, MD and CEO of the CSI, told the meeting that the government should proactive in removing the bottlenecks for the computer industries. Due to the absence of HD codes of computer parts and accessories, entrepreneurs of this sector are facing severe hassles and delay in releasing their consignments, he said. ICT secretary in his speech assured the entrepreneurs that the ministry will take necessary steps to remove the barriers for this sector, which has huge potentials to be the next driver of economic growth. He also admitted that many wrong policies were taken during the previous regime which hinders the smooth grooming of the industry. Mr Hasan mentioned that the project cost was inflated previously which resulted in huge economic loss for the government. "The main task of the government is to create space and enabling environment for the businesses and we will do that," he added. Leon Lin, director of EKSA, and Shahidul Islam Monir, former president of Bangladesh Computer Samity, also spoke on the occasion which was followed by several product launching of the CSI and EKSA.
