Business
RFL Tubewell turns 40
RFL Tubewell, the first product of business conglomerate Pran-RFL Group, has completed 40 years of operation.
"RFL Tubewell started its journey in 1980 when people were suffering from various water-borne diseases due to lack of pure drinking water. We are proud to be able to provide safe drinking water to nearly 30 million families," RFL Group Managing Director RN Paul said at a function in the capital Tuesday.
Read: RFL launches awareness campaign on water wastage
He added, "On the occasion of RFL Tubewell's 40th anniversary, pure water will be provided to 40 villages through tube wells in remote and char areas of Bangladesh."
Abdul Kuddus Miah, business In-charge of RFL Tubewell, said: "RFL Tubewell has become one of the leading brands in the country due to its wide presence, affordable prices and excellent quality."
"It has been the source of drinking water for people all over the country for 40 years."
NBR to award 9 companies for paying highest VAT
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) will honour 9 firms on the National VAT Day for paying highest amount of Value Added Tax (VAT). The VAT department of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) on Wednesday released a list of awardees. Earlier the Economic Relations Division (ERD) published a gazette notification in this regard.
Read:NBR to organize month-long tax support service from Nov 1 December 10 is celebrated as the National VAT Day every year. The NBR will honour the highest tax payers of the fiscal year 2019-20 on this day. Nine firms under three categories- production, business and service- will receive the awards at a ceremony in Dhaka. The list of awardees includes Aristopharma Limited, Square Toiletries Limited and Maya Bidi Factory under the production category, SM Motors, AMCO Bajaj International and Union Motors Limited under business category and IDTCO Bangladesh Co. Ltd. Gray Advertising Ltd. and Robert Boss (Bangladesh) Ltd under service category. The VAT department of the National Board of Revenue has been regularly honoring the top VAT payers for several years.
Read: NBR directs big push to reach the revenue target for current fiscal Business establishments which have Electronic Business Identification Number (EBIN), issue regular VAT receipts to the consumers and regularly deposit the collected VAT money in the government treasury are considered eligible for the award. NBR will also honour 102 companies in the three categories as the top VAT payers at the district level.
Vietnam seeks improved port facilities in Bangladesh to boost trade: Envoy
Vietnam believes bilateral trade between the two countries will boost manifold if Bangladesh improves the logistics at its seaports in efficient handling of imports and exports, the country’s ambassador has said.
Ambassador Pham Viet Chien made the remarks during a meeting at Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industries (DCCI) on Wednesday.
He led a seven-member business delegation of Vietnam at the meeting with DCCI officials, led by its president Rizwan Rahman.
Read:Middlemen, the biggest obstacle in Bangladesh's food chain?
DCCI President said Vietnam is the 18th largest import partner and 44th largest export market of Bangladesh.
He said in the fiscal year (FY) 2020-21, bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Vietnam reached US$ 739.89 million _ export worth US$61.29 million and import at US$678.6 million.
Rizwan also said that Bangladesh needs technical expertise from Vietnam to improve its industrial capacity and productivity.
He underscored the importance of direct flight between Dhaka and Hanoi to enhance trade relation.
DCCI president sought Vietnam’s support to Bangladesh to become a member of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
He also shared the experience of Vietnam in FDI promotion and export diversification.
The ambassador said Vietnam wants Bangladesh to export more to his country to reduce the trade gap.
He said several Vietnamese companies are still in operation in Bangladesh and they are doing well.
Read: DCCI, IBA sign deal for business-oriented research and innovation
He also requested the business community of Bangladesh to send trade delegations to Vietnam for more interactions.
Members of the visiting Vietnamese delegation also took part in the discussion.
They expressed interest in importing jute, jute goods and pharmaceutical products from Bangladesh.
During the meeting N K A Mobin, Senior Vice President, Monowar Hossain, Vice President along with the Board of Directors of DCCI, were also present.
Middlemen, the biggest obstacle in Bangladesh's food chain?
Agriculture is the economic backbone of Bangladesh. But farmers say that numerous revolutionary reforms introduced in the sector over the past two decades have failed to bring any major change in their economic condition.
The reason: The profiteering middlemen who buy fruits and vegetables at extremely low rates directly from farms, but jack up prices in further sales -- from distribution to retailing through commission agents and wholesalers.
Read: UK announces £18m new funding to end child marriage in Bangladesh, 11 other countries
And as this nexus takes a substantial chunk of profit from their produce, farmers are left with very little revenue in the agricultural market hierarchy in the country. Of course, consumers are also a casualty as they pay a higher value for the cheaper farm produce.
Market analysts also blame the nexus of multi-layered middlemen involved in the distribution process for the huge gap in the prices of agricultural produce at farm and retail levels. Another reason being the high transportation cost to cities like Dhaka.
In fact, vegetable prices are 100-300% higher in the kitchen markets of the capital than that at the farm level, according to the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM).
This has already been admitted by the Bangladesh government. Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzak had earlier said that "many people cannot afford sufficient vegetable intake due to high prices while the farmers are also not getting fair prices of their produce".
Read: Remotest region to connect with broadband internet by 2025: Palak
Farmers often throw away their vegetables when they find that the cost of production is higher than that of sales, according to the government.
"We have to create a modern marketing system to eliminate this problem," he had said, adding "value-addition and market chain development are needed for this".
DCCI, IBA sign deal for business-oriented research and innovation
The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) and Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka will work together for business-oriented research and innovation.
A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed between DCCI and IBA in this regard on Tuesday. DCCI President Rizwan Rahman and Director of IBA Prof Mohammad Abdul Momen signed the deed document on behalf of their respective sides.
Rizwan said that as per the agreement, mutually agreed training courses will be arranged for DCCI. Both DCCI and IBA will conduct sector wise business research activities, job fair, seminars, workshop, and business conference. DCCI will provide internship opportunities for the students of IBA.
Also read: Challenges of 4IR: DCCI, BUET ink MoC
He said skill development is the priority area for the government as well as for the private sector because in order to compete with the global standard, we must have better skills in every sector.
He called for extensive research and development works under the universities so that they can contribute to the development nation’s economy.
Director of IBA, Prof. Momen said that there should have a greater collaboration between industry and academia.
“To cope up with the changing global geo-political and technological transformation we have to be competitive in terms of skills and education,” he added.
Also read: DCCI plans investment summit in Singapore this year
He cited a few examples of some successful countries like USA, Germany, and Korea who are utilizing their universities for extensive wide ranging research and innovation activities.
The research facilities of our universities in Bangladesh are still unexplored and under-utilized. He invited the private sector to invest for expansion of university research in the country for the sake of industry development, Prof Momen said.
INGO Jobs: Multiple job opportunities at Save the Children
The non-governmental organization Save the Children has announced the recruitment of manpower for several posts. The company will recruit manpower for the posts of Director, Advocacy, Campaign, Communication and Media (ACCM), Advisor, Education and Senior Manager, Mill, Start Fund Bangladesh. Interested and eligible candidates can apply online.
Position Name: Director, Advocacy, Campaign, Communication & Media (ACCM)
Category: Advocacy, Campaign and Policy
Qualifications: Postgraduate degree in any subject. However, candidates with degrees in social sciences, communication or English will be preferred. Must have experience working in such position in international or local NGO, UN or corporate organization. Must have experience in team management and working with regional and global level teams.
Job type: permanent, full time
Work place: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Salary: Not mentioned
The way the application
You have to apply online through this link. https://bangladesh.savethechildren.net/careers/details?jid=71520
Application deadline: November 26, 2021
Position Name: Advisor, Education
Category: Program Operations
Qualifications: Postgraduate degree in education, social sciences or any related subject. Must be proficient in English. Must have at least seven years of experience working in an education management program or similar position. Have an idea about child education, primary education and basic education. Must be proficient in Microsoft Office and Excel. Must have experience working with the team.
Job type: permanent, full time
Work place: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Work place: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Salary: Not mentioned
The way the application
You have to apply online through this link. https://bangladesh.savethechildren.net/careers/details?jid=71411
Application deadline: November 22, 2021
Position Name: Senior Manager, Mill, Start Fund Bangladesh
Category: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
Qualifications: Post Graduate Degree in Statistics, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Anthropology or any related subject. Must be proficient in Bengali and English. Must have at least seven years working experience in Monitoring and Evaluation. Must be proficient in Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint and R / SPSS. Must have the ability to analyze data.
Job type: Contract (one year)
Salary: Not mentioned
The way the application
You have to apply online through this link. https://bangladesh.savethechildren.net/careers/details?jid=71632
Application deadline: November 23, 2021
Also Read:Bangladesh Railway Jobs: Railway recruitment circular
Sri Lanka's N-able expands business footprint to Bangladesh
Sri Lanka's technology solutions provider N-able (Private) Limited has expanded its footprint to extend design consultancy and engineering services to customers in Bangladesh.
N-able will partner with solutions providers in Bangladesh and act as the solutions partner to design and implement end-to-end solutions in the domains of infrastructure-centric and application-centric solutions.
The company plans to draw from its prior experience in serving different international markets.
Also read: Setting Up Facebook Business in Bangladesh: Detailed Guideline
N-able CEO Asanka Bimal Rajasinghe said: "We are excited to make Bangladesh an initial part of our global expansion drive, as we seek to strengthen our regional business presence."
Sameera Viraj Kodituwakku, the company's head of operations, said: "We see Bangladesh as a market of great potential for business growth. We intend to support the growing and demanding business needs, which have emerged as a result of the thriving economy of Bangladesh, from a technology solutions perspective."
Established in 2008, N-able has positioned itself as a unique provider of information and communications technology services, enabling businesses to create enhanced value for their customers and stakeholders in the telecom, banking and financial, government, and enterprise sectors, according to a media statement.
RMG's sustainable growth: BGMEA for exploring new markets
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has highlighted the need for exploring new markets for the apparel industry to ensure sustainable growth of the sector.
"To increase our export share to non-traditional markets and explore untapped the opportunities of high-end items in our major markets, we continuously need to promote the industry by highlighting our strengths and capabilities," BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said Monday.
He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the first virtual edition of the "Sourcing Bangladesh 2021" organised by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).
Also read: Technology upgradation crucial for RMG industry to stay competitive: BGMEA
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi inaugurated the event as chief guest.
Considering the importance of promoting trade amid Covid-19, Faruque lauded the EPB for holding the seven-day long sourcing fair on a virtual platform is commendable.
"We applaud the initiative of the Ministry of Commerce because it will not only play an important role in increasing the export of the country but also will help to achieve a sustainable growth of the industry in the upcoming days," he said.
Also read: BGMEA shares RMG success stories at IAF meeting
Bangladesh, UAE identify 12 fields to enhance cooperation
Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates have specified 12 fields of bilateral cooperation at the 5th joint commission meeting between the two countries in Dhaka.
The meeting, held in Dhaka, was co-chaired by Finance Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal and UAE State Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh. The ministers joined the meeting virtually, while senior officials of both sides attended it physically.
Read:Role of accounting profession important for fair spending: Mannan
The fields identified for bilateral cooperation are i) Bilateral Trade and Economic Development , ii) Labour, Employment and Consular Relation, iii) Civil Aviation, Tourism and Culture, iv) Investment Opportunities, v) Increased support of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), vi) Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, vii) Information and Communication Technology (ICT), viii) Education, Science and Technology, ix) Marine Environment Development, x) Agriculture, xi) Health Services & Health Education, and xii) Humanitarian & Charitable Areas.
The discussions were held in the spirit of understanding, friendship and mutual respect, meeting sources said.
Read:Bangladesh Bank announces 4 pc export subsidy on bicycle, cement sheet, and MS steel
The ministers virtually signed the agreed minutes of the meeting on behalf of their respective sides.
Both sides agreed to hold the sixth meeting of the Joint Commission in Abu Dhabi. The date of the next meeting will be fixed later.
Bangladesh Railway Jobs: Railway recruitment circular
Bangladesh Railway has published a job circular to recruit manpower for the post of pointsman in the revenue sector. The minimum qualification to apply for this post is HSC pass. Interested candidates need to apply online.
Position Name: Pointsman
Number of posts: 762
Age: 18-30 years
Eligibility: Passed HSC / equivalent examination. The candidate should have a fit body.
Salary Scale: TK. 8,800-21,310 (Grade 18)
Those who can apply
Candidates from all districts except Pabna and Lalmonirhat can apply. However, candidates from all districts will be able to apply for the quota of orphans and the physically challenged and the railways.
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The way the application
Interested candidates need to apply through this website knowing the details online.
Application Fee: The application fee of Tk. 56 has to be submitted within 72 hours of application.
READ: Jobs of Prime Bank, posted in Dhaka and Chittagong
Application started
Online application and examination fee submission starts from 10 am on 23rd November
Application deadline: December 28, 2021.