Bangladesh Economy: News & Updates

[Arthur]

খবর > অর্থনীতি
উচ্চ শিক্ষার জন্য বিশ্ব ব্যাংকের ঋণে হাজার কোটি টাকার প্রকল্প
নিজস্ব প্রতিবেদক, বিডিনিউজ টোয়েন্টিফোর ডটকম

Published: 2016-06-28 18:45:07.0 BdST Updated: 2016-06-28 18:45:07.0 BdST

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উচ্চ শিক্ষার মান উন্নয়নে গুরুত্ব দিয়ে বিশ্ব ব্যাংকের সহায়তায় ১ হাজার ৪০ কোটি টাকার প্রকল্প নিয়েছে সরকার।

‘কলেজ এডুকেশন ডেভেলপমেন্ট’ শীর্ষক এ প্রকল্পের মাধ্যমে শিক্ষার কৌশল পরিকল্পনা, সংস্কার, কলেজগুলোর ব্যবস্থাপনা সক্ষমতা বাড়ানো, শিক্ষা নিয়োগ ব্যবস্থাপনা পদ্ধতি উন্নত ও অর্নাস ও মাস্টার্স কোর্সের শিক্ষা পদ্ধতি উন্নত করার হবে বলে সরকারের পক্ষ থেকে বলা হয়েছে।

মঙ্গলবার রাজধানীর শেরে বাংলা নগরে এনইসি সম্মেলন কক্ষে প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনার সভাপতিত্বে একনেক সভায় এই প্রকল্পটি অনুমোদন দেওয়া হয়।

এই প্রকল্পে মোট ব্যয় ধরা হয়েছে ১ হাজার ৪০ কোটি টাকা। এর মধ্যে বিশ্ব ব্যাংকের ঋণ থেকে আসবে ৮০০ কোটি টাকা। বাকিটা সরকারের। প্রকল্পটি চলতি অর্থবছরের জুলাইয়ে শুরু হয়ে ২০২১ সালের জুনের মধ্যে বাস্তবায়ন হবে।

সভার পর সংবাদ সম্মেলনে পরিকল্পামন্ত্রী আ হ ম মুস্তফা কামাল বলেন, “উচ্চ শিক্ষার চাহিদা দিন দিন বাড়ছে। এই মুহূর্তে মানসম্মত শিক্ষার উপর অধিক গুরুত্ব দিচ্ছে সরকার।

“এই প্রকল্পের মাধ্যমে কলেজ সংখ্যা বাড়ানো হবে। প্রকল্পটি ২০২১ সালের মধ্যে শেষ করার লক্ষ্যমাত্রা থাকলেও এটি ২০১৯ সালের মধ্যে শেষ করতে প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনা সংশ্লিষ্টদের নির্দেশ দিয়েছেন।”

মঙ্গলবারের সভায় এটিসহ মোট আটটি প্রকল্প অনুমোদন দেওয়া হয়। এগুলোর সম্মিলিত ব্যয় ধরা হয়েছে ৪ হাজার ৬০৬ কোটি টাকা।

পরিকল্পনামন্ত্রী বলেন, এর মধ্যে প্রকল্প সহায়তা হিসেবে পাওয়া যাবে ৮০০ কোটি টাকা, বাকি ৩ হাজার ৮০৬ কোটি টাকা সরকারের নিজস্ব তহবিল থেকে জোগান দেওয়া হবে।

অনুমোদিত প্রকল্পের মধ্যে রয়েছে ১০০টি উপজেলায় একটি করে টেকনিক্যাল স্কুল ও কলেজ স্থাপন প্রকল্প (প্রথম সংশোধিত), এটি বাস্তবায়নে মোট ব্যয় ধরা হয়েছে ২ হাজার ২৮১ কোটি ৬৯ লাখ টাকা।

ফরিদপুর মেডিকেল কলেজ ও হাসপাতাল স্থাপন প্রকল্প (প্রথম সংশোধিত), এর ব্যয় ধরা হয়েছে ৪৭৪ কোটি ৭৬ লাখ টাকা। ২০টি শিশু দিবাযত্ন কেন্দ্র স্থাপন প্রকল্পে ব্যয় ধরা হয়েছে ৫৯ কোটি ৮৮ লাখ টাকা।

পাঁচদোনা-ডাঙ্গা-ঘোড়াশাল সড়ক উন্নয়ন প্রকল্পের ব্যয় ধরা হয়েছে ২৬৯ কোটি ৮১ লাখ টাকা।

কুড়িগ্রাম জেলার চিলমারী ও উলিপুর উপজেলাধীন বৈরাগীর হাট ও চিলমারী বন্দর ব্রহ্মপুত্র নদের ডান তীরের ভাঙন থেকে রক্ষা প্রকল্প (প্রথম সংশোধিত) একনেকে অনুমোদন পেয়েছে, এর ব্যয় ধরা হয়েছে ২৫৬ কোটি ৯২ লাখ টাকা।
উন্নত জাতের গাভী পালনের মাধ্যমে সুবিধাবঞ্চিত নারীদের জীবনযাত্রার মান উন্নয়ন প্রকল্পে ব্যয় হবে ১৫১ কোটি ৫৭ লাখ টাকা।

হাতে কলমে কারিগরি প্রশিক্ষণে নারীদের গুরুত্ব দিয়ে বিটাকের কার্যক্রম সম্প্রসারণপূর্বক আত্মকর্মসংস্থান সৃষ্টি ও দারিদ্র্য বিমোচন প্রকল্পে (তৃতীয় সংশোধিত)ব্যয় হবে ৭১ কোটি ৯৭ লাখ টাকা।


http://bangla.bdnews24.com/economy/article1175540.bdnews

 

[gslv mk3]

See below for condition of Bangladesh trackage. Poor by whose standards?? And this is not even mainline trackage....

Nice try,but that's a newly laid 60 km long meter gauge line. I too saw it on SSC forum.

Some of the track is even imported from India. Could the poor condition be because of the quality of the Indian tra

What you've imported might be the old 90lb/yard rails...

http://www.dhakatribune.com/development/2013/may/27/money-wasted-‘poor’-railway-project

We even make 110UTS rails for our dedicated freight corridors & export rails to several countries.

Are you kidding me? Say leasing.

Unless you're an airline like Biman, which 'buys' aircraft ( four 777-300ERs, four 787-8 Dreamliners,and two Next-Generation 737-800s in the short term

Who cares about your Beeman ??Do they still fly those vintage DC 10s ??

Indian carriers only lease aircraft , right ??

IndiGo firms up 250 A320neo aircraft – Airbus' largest order by number |

 

[Rokto14]

Who cares about your Beeman ??Do they still fly those vintage DC 10s ??

Indian carriers only lease aircraft , right ??

IndiGo firms up 250 A320neo aircraft – Airbus' largest order by number | [/QUOTE]

Sorry man we don't fly the DC-10s and we are phasing out our remaining 2 Airbus 310-300s by this year September. And we are going to lease Boeing 737s or Boeing 777s as replacement aircraft before 787 Dreamliners come in 2019. And you shouldn't compare IndiGo with Biman. Biman is a company under the GoB whereas IndiGo is a private company. And IndiGo needs to cater to 35 destinations in India for domestic. We cater more international flights to mostly Middle East and Southeast Asia. Don't really see a point of you comparing :3

 

[Bilal9]

Online money transfer giant PayPal slated for August entry in Bangladesh
Chief Economics Correspondent, bdnews24.com
Published: 2016-07-15 20:16:49.0 BdST Updated: 2016-07-15 20:16:49.0 BdST

Popular online money transfer agency PayPal is all set to sign an MoU with state-owned Sonali Bank, clearing the decks for its debut in Bangladesh, authorities have confirmed.

Sonali Bank Director-in-charge Md Abdur Rob told bdnews24.com on Friday that PayPal had responded with positive indications to a proposal made by the bank to sign an MoU.

“We hope the service will start in Bangladesh from next month”, he said.

State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Zunaid Ahmed Palak told bdnews24.com, “Under the leadership and overall guidance of ICT adviser to the government, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, we have made much progress on our commitment to bring PayPal services to the people of Bangladesh.

“We do hope that very soon we shall be able to present the service to freelancers and others.”

During last year’s US tour, Palak visited the PayPal head office and met its vice-president. At that time, he had said that discussions revolved round meeting infrastructural needs to ensure that Bangladesh could be put on their list.

PayPal is an e-commerce organisation through which money can be transferred through the internet using an electronic bank credit or debit card, PayPal cheques or by using virtual cash from Pay Pal accounts.

The government has been trying to introduce the service in Bangladesh since 2011

 

[Michael Corleone]

Online money transfer giant PayPal slated for August entry in Bangladesh
Chief Economics Correspondent, bdnews24.com
Published: 2016-07-15 20:16:49.0 BdST Updated: 2016-07-15 20:16:49.0 BdST

Popular online money transfer agency PayPal is all set to sign an MoU with state-owned Sonali Bank, clearing the decks for its debut in Bangladesh, authorities have confirmed.

Sonali Bank Director-in-charge Md Abdur Rob told bdnews24.com on Friday that PayPal had responded with positive indications to a proposal made by the bank to sign an MoU.

“We hope the service will start in Bangladesh from next month”, he said.

State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Zunaid Ahmed Palak told bdnews24.com, “Under the leadership and overall guidance of ICT adviser to the government, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, we have made much progress on our commitment to bring PayPal services to the people of Bangladesh.

“We do hope that very soon we shall be able to present the service to freelancers and others.”

During last year’s US tour, Palak visited the PayPal head office and met its vice-president. At that time, he had said that discussions revolved round meeting infrastructural needs to ensure that Bangladesh could be put on their list.

PayPal is an e-commerce organisation through which money can be transferred through the internet using an electronic bank credit or debit card, PayPal cheques or by using virtual cash from Pay Pal accounts.

The government has been trying to introduce the service in Bangladesh since 2011

Finally as I am leaving Bangladesh :/ -_-

 

[extra terrestrial]

US’ Gilead faces competition from Bangladesh’s Beacon pharma

MUMBAI: In a classic David Vs Goliath case, the US-based drugmaker Gilead that has made billions of dollars over its blockbuster range of Hepatitis C drugs is facing an unconventional challenger. Beacon Pharma, a little known Bangladeshi drugmaker, has emerged as the David to the Goliath that Gilead is.

Beacon has become the first generic drug company in the world to produce copycat versions of Gilead's newly launched Epclusa (Sofosbuvir + Velpatasvir) — a drug used to treat all types of Hepatitis C infections. One of the revolutionary drugs, Epclusa has a cure rate of 95 per cent, but with a tag of $75,000 it is considered out of reach to even the wealthy.

Beacon, going by its past launches of Hep C drugs, will look at pricing the drug 10x less than that of its originator. "Our brand will be known as SOFOSVEL, this will be the first generic launch of this drug," said Monjul Alam, senior vice-president, Beacon Pharma, to ET over a telephonic chat from Dhaka ..

The combination of Sofosbuvir+ Velpatasvir which was approved by the USFDA in June is considered as a path breaking therapy that can be used by even the harshest genotype of patients suffering from the disease. Gilead, which has faced flak for its pricing of other Hep C drugs, has priced this drug lower than its other products. For over 90 low income countries, Gilead has given voluntary licenses to 12 Indian generic makers who are allowed to sell its drugs, in return of a royalty fee. The emergence of companies like Beacon, medical experts say, is also a result of unaffordability of these drugs even in developed nations.

"There is bound to be crossborder movement of any goods that costs $1 in one country and $1,000 in other," said Andrew Hill, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics of University of Liverpool.

Beacon is hoping to reach out to patients from 45 countries across the world, including India, through its patient support programme which allows patients to directly purchase the drug through the manufacturer.

There are several Hep C buyers' clubs that have emerged across the world where patients who are unable to afford the costly versions in their home countries, travel to Bangladesh and India to buy the drugs for themselves and fellow patients.

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

 

[Arthur]

Home > Business
Online money transfer giant PayPal slated for August entry in Bangladesh
Chief Economics Correspondent, bdnews24.com

Published: 2016-07-15 20:16:49.0 BdST Updated: 2016-07-15 20:16:49.0 BdST

• 
  
  
  

Popular online money transfer agency PayPal is all set to sign an MoU with state-owned Sonali Bank, clearing the decks for its debut in Bangladesh, authorities have confirmed.






Sonali Bank Director-in-charge Md Abdur Rob told bdnews24.com on Friday that PayPal had responded with positive indications to a proposal made by the bank to sign an MoU.

“We hope the service will start in Bangladesh from next month”, he said.

State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Zunaid Ahmed Palak told bdnews24.com, “Under the leadership and overall guidance of ICT adviser to the government, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, we have made much progress on our commitment to bring PayPal services to the people of Bangladesh.

“We do hope that very soon we shall be able to present the service to freelancers and others.”

During last year’s US tour, Palak visited the PayPal head office and met its vice-president. At that time, he had said that discussions revolved round meeting infrastructural needs to ensure that Bangladesh could be put on their list.

PayPal is an e-commerce organisation through which money can be transferred through the internet using an electronic bank credit or debit card, PayPal cheques or by using virtual cash from Pay Pal accounts.

The government has been trying to introduce the service in Bangladesh since 2011.

 

[TopCat]

^^^^^^^^
@alaungphaya @Aung Zaya @Nilgiri

 

[Nilgiri]

^^^^^^^^
@alaungphaya @Aung Zaya @Nilgiri

Wake me up when Bangladesh yearly pharma exports pass 100 million USD (i.e what India exports in pharma in 2-3 days)

http://articles.economictimes.india...try-pharmaceutical-exports-ramesh-swaminathan

India's drug makers export more than $4 billion (Rs 24,970 crore) of products to the US out of their annual exports of around $15 billion.

Bangladesh has to start somewhere, but one article is not an indication of any serious momentum....it will need a lot lot more than that and you have to find a way to displace established suppliers like India in the major markets.

 

[Michael Corleone]

Wake me up when Bangladesh yearly pharma exports pass 100 million USD (i.e what India exports in pharma in 2-3 days)

http://articles.economictimes.india...try-pharmaceutical-exports-ramesh-swaminathan

India's drug makers export more than $4 billion (Rs 24,970 crore) of products to the US out of their annual exports of around $15 billion.

Bangladesh has to start somewhere, but one article is not an indication of any serious momentum....it will need a lot lot more than that and you have to find a way to displace established suppliers like India in the major markets.

No backing from govt. all they care about is tax. Then u can expect this condition. Not surprising.

But they do make 96% of Bangladesh demand so that's a good news.

 

[Russell]

No backing from govt. all they care about is tax. Then u can expect this condition. Not surprising.

But they do make 96% of Bangladesh demand so that's a good news.

As you can see exports were
- $27.5mil in 05/06
- $69.14mil in 13/14

more than doubled in ~10 years.

The industry is growing. BD companies are just now entering the US market after gaining FDA approval.

Square Pharmaceuticals and Beximco Pharma gained the FDA approval in June last year.

“Incepta Pharmaceuticals is expected to get that opportunity soon. The other companies will follow suit gradually,” Farashuddin adds.

Shawkat Haider, General Manager of the business development division of Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd, says they have taken all necessary preparations to start exporting medicines within 4-5 months.

“We will enter the US market with medicines for blood pressure.”

Square Pharmaceuticals Limited plans to hit the new market in a few months and the Incepta Pharmaceuticals Limited has already set up a separate factory with a view to exporting medicines to the US from the next year.

Made-in-Bangladesh medicines are currently exported to 90 countries in Europe and Middle East.

 

[Michael Corleone]

As you can see exports were
- $27.5mil in 05/06
- $69.14mil in 13/14

more than doubled in ~10 years.

The industry is growing. BD companies are just now entering the US market after gaining FDA approval.

If only they keep up with the quality there is a big competition Bangladesh can throw at the rivals. Everything is super cheap so that's an advantage.

 

[Bilal9]

Wake me up when Bangladesh yearly pharma exports pass 100 million USD (i.e what India exports in pharma in 2-3 days)

http://articles.economictimes.india...try-pharmaceutical-exports-ramesh-swaminathan

India's drug makers export more than $4 billion (Rs 24,970 crore) of products to the US out of their annual exports of around $15 billion.

Bangladesh has to start somewhere, but one article is not an indication of any serious momentum....it will need a lot lot more than that and you have to find a way to displace established suppliers like India in the major markets.

India is a huge behemoth pharma supplier worldwide with generic drug export majors like Ranbaxy who have been at this since the sixties.

Plus Indian pharma mfrs. enjoy support of not only local availability of initial formulations but also huge investment and indigenous production of Active Pharma Ingredients (API) because of hundred crore population...

Bangladesh has started this twenty years late compared to India (license manufacture of Upjohn, Bayer drugs in late eighties) and then moved on past a decade in bulk generics and specialties like ophthalmic drugs and metered dose inhalers in late nineties. Comparisons actually should not be made between India and Bangladesh volume-wise.

So yes - it will take Bangladesh (even proportionally as a nation of sixteen crore) ten more (if not twenty) more years to compete with India in any respectable export volume.

Qualitatively however Bangladeshi drugs take a back seat to no one. I've had American doctors assay Bangladeshi common drugs like acetaminophen (and I have Bangladeshi friends who are involved with local US pharma companies) who know that quality-wise Bangladeshi generics are as good as any in the world.

GMP approvals have been received by most of our major companies from almost all important markets.

This is from a recent annual report of a local pharma exporter of repute (there are about twenty exporters of this size locally),

• Launched 28 products (24 generics) in the domestic market; three of which were launched for the first time in Bangladesh
• Introduced Oral Soluble Film (OSF) technology with the launch of an antiemetic drug (Ondansetron) Entered two new markets (Romania and Uganda). (Ondansetron (Zofran) is used to prevent nausea and vomiting that may be caused by surgery or by medicine to treat cancer).
• A total of 55 new registrations done in 15 different countries
• Became the first Bangladeshi company to receive Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) approval from the Taiwan Food & Drug Administration (TFDA) and the Canadian regulatory authority (Health Canada); also received approval from BPOM (Indonesian Agency for Drug And Food Control) for the Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI) unit
• Net sales increased to BDT 11,206.9 million, registering a y-o-y growth rate of 6.8%
• Net Profit after tax increased 8.8% to BDT 1,528.3 million
• EPS rose by 8.64% to BDT 4.15

More info nuggets,

API, Excipients and other ingredients

Historically, Bangladesh has been dependent on imports for APIs and other ingredients. Companies imported APIs and other materials and used them for final production. The pharmaceutical manufacturers in Bangladesh procure raw materials from various countries namely UK, France, Germany, Japan, Holland, Italy, Denmark, China, Switzerland,
Austria, Hungary, India, Ireland etc. Recently, local firms has been approaching to producing ingredients locally, especially API. These have reduced dependency on imported raw materials to 70% of total.

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient or API is the core element of pharmaceutical products, and is the primary cost component for production. At present, there are 21 companies in Bangladesh
manufacturing 41 APIs. Industry participants claim already becoming self-sufficient in some APIs, namely, Penicillin, Cephalexin, NSAID and Anti-Pyretic. The production of APIs is confined to the last stage of Synthesis. Presently, Local APIs take a 20% share in domestic production. The rest 80% is imported. These imported APIs represent majority of raw materials import by Bangladesh, approximately 70%.

Formulations

Formulations represent the mainstream business in pharmaceuticals industry of Bangladesh. Presently, the market consists of approximately 8000 generic products and 258 firms with manufacturing capability, along with some imported patented products. (Source : IDLC Research) From the perspective of business nature, the industry can be classified as-
1. High-End products (Anti Cancer, Insulin, Vaccines etc.)
2. Branded generics (Products with a brand presence )
3. Low End generics


High End Generics:

These are essentially products specific to market niches, i.e. Anti cancer, Diabetic products, Vaccines etc. these products are usually high priced and represent a small portion of the market. Profit margins in such products is very high. Historically, it has been import dependent, and MNCs were the key provider. Recently, domestic firms have been entering into this field, and competition is expected to drive prices and import dependency down. Especially, in Anticancer, Insulin and several vaccine production, several local firms have made significant progress.

Branded Generics:

This represents broadest segment of the market, comprising products with relatively stable margin and Brand orientation. This segment is dominated by local manufacturers, and due to high brand loyalty observed in our market, market share of manufacturers is usually moves rarely. Competition is branding oriented, and firms try to improve RX share and relationships with doctors and related parties to increase market presence. Anti-Gastric and Anti-Biotic are the two dominant product category in this segment.

Low-end branded generics:

This segment is small, often for products with low branding possibility, and price war is most evident here. The number of competitors is very high, and market share of each competitor depends on success of marketing strategy.

 

[TopCat]

http://www.thedailystar.net/business/drugmakers-get-boost-787351

 

[Bilal9]

http://www.thedailystar.net/business/drugmakers-get-boost-787351

The reason for the Govt. setting up the API (Active Pharma Ingredients) manufacturing park mentioned in the article is that Bangladesh's pharmaceutical sector will be able to produce raw materials on a large scale and at a reduced cost (20% or more) compared to imported API - even API from India and China. Although a lot of the larger pharma mfrs. do have API production capability (most commonly for Penicillin), imported API's still constitute 70% or more of API's used in local formulations.

The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) agreement permits Bangladesh to reverse-engineer patented generic pharmaceutical products to sell locally and export to markets around the world.

1. Bangladesh is taking the advantage of TRIPS agreement - as being an LDC it is exempted from patent protection until 2033. Both China an India are exempted by the WTO from reverse-engineering first-world drugs with current patents. This now differentiates (and will differentiate) Bangladesh as a source of more advanced generics for a few years. There is tremendous promise in this field for all to make money.
2. As a low-cost economical production base - Bangladesh is attracting interest from Global Pharma MNCs (including those from China and India) for contract manufacturing and strategic alliance on API's, low grade generics and other basic products.