Dhaka set to strike agreements with Riyadh

[Hammer-fist]

Dhaka set to strike deals with Riyadh on manpower export, oil import

Published : Sunday, 20 January 2013


FE Report

Dhaka will be keen to strike deals on manpower export and oil import with Riyadh during the upcoming Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia Joint Commission meeting, scheduled for February 25-26 in the capital city of the kingdom, a senior official in the finance ministry said.

Saudi Arabia is the largest manpower export destination for Bangladesh as nearly one-fourth of its expatriate workforce or 2.5 million are now working in the oil-rich country.

But since 2009, manpower import from Bangladesh and Iqama transfer (residence permit or work permit transfer) for Bangladeshi nationals remained almost closed.

Bangladesh has repeatedly requested the Saudi government to re-open its labour market for the country's workers and allow job transfer, but there has been no response from the Saudi side, official sources said.

Issues to be discussed at the Joint Commission under the broad area of manpower export include recruitment of Bangladeshi skilled and semi-skilled workers, recruitment of domestic female workers, discussions on improving working conditions, wages and insurance of Bangladeshi workers serving in the KSA, formation of a joint committee on manpower, skill development training for Bangladeshi labour force and proposal for Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for manpower cooperation.

The Economic Relations Division (ERD) under the ministry of finance (MoF) is now busy fixing the issues and setting the priority areas to be put on the table for discussion. The ERD officials said though a good number of bilateral issues will be tabled at the meeting, manpower export and oil import on the basis of interest-free deferred payment would get special priority.

"We will push for deals on manpower export and oil import with the KSA," a senior finance ministry official said.

He, however, said the position of the Saudi officials towards Bangladesh's priorities would be known at the end of current month.

Other issues like cooperation on investment, health, education and culture, agriculture, youth and sports affairs and cooperation in the area of civil aviation will also be on the agenda for discussion, an ERD official said.

On promotion of bilateral trade, seven areas have already been finalised for discussion at the 10th Joint Commission meeting, a high official said.

The areas are increase of export from Bangladesh to KSA, holding of exhibition of Saudi products in Bangladesh, sharing of experiences in micro finance programme for small businesses, concessional duty and zero tariff for a large number of Bangladeshi products, proposal for MoU between Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and Saudi Arabia Standards Organisation(SASO) and exchange of trade delegations.

The finance officials said the ministry of commerce is now preparing a list of products that Bangladesh will seek duty- free access for in the KSA.

Other issues like expediting loan disbursement for cancer and ophthalmology hospital projects in Bangladesh, recruitment of doctors and nurses from Bangladesh and promotion of nursing services in Bangladesh would be brought to the attention of the Saudi side at the two-day session of the joint commission.


Financial Express :: Financial Newspaper of Bangladesh

 

[Icewolf]

I think Bangladesh needs to send people to Saudi or else BD will be financially bankrupt.

 

[Hammer-fist]

This is the interesting part:

Other issues like cooperation on investment, health, education and culture, agriculture, youth and sports affairs and cooperation in the area of civil aviation will also be on the agenda for discussion, an ERD official said.

I am curious as to the details on that.

 

[scholseys]

BNP is coming back to power

This is the interesting part:



I am curious as to the details on that.

Wahabism?......

 

[SHAMK9]

This is the interesting part:



I am curious as to the details on that.

I would worry about the culture part, the rest is all fine

 

[mb444]

Saudi will open door as soon as BNP is in. However the immaturity of BD politicians are staggering sometimes.

There are a few things that should be constant irrespective of the political colouring of the ruling party. what is needed is cross party commities who carry on the work in the background ignoring general BD political mess.

The first amoung them is our economy which means having good ongoing consistent dialogue with our main partners:
For manpower - the GCC countries although primarily Saudi and UAE and Malaysia
For export products - USA and the EU
For funding - world bank and IMF

For defense
- continuous engagement with China and USA
- UN to ensure maximum peacekeeping operations which professionalises our forces and earn valuable foreign currency

Geopolitics
- continuous engagement with US, China, Saudi and OIC

As a nation certain things that we stand for and project outward to foreigners should change little. Our problem is rhetoric that is spewed by our politicians. We air our dirty laundry too much and too often publicly resulting in unnecessary and unavoidable issues
because our partners recalibrate their stance as we seem to volatile

 

[Hammer-fist]

Saudi will open door as soon as BNP is in. However the immaturity of BD politicians are staggering sometimes.

There are a few things that should be constant irrespective of the political colouring of the ruling party. what is needed is cross party commities who carry on the work in the background ignoring general BD political mess.

The first amoung them is our economy which means having good ongoing consistent dialogue with our main partners:
For manpower - the GCC countries although primarily Saudi and UAE and Malaysia
For export products - USA and the EU
For funding - world bank and IMF

For defense
- continuous engagement with China and USA
- UN to ensure maximum peacekeeping operations which professionalises our forces and earn valuable foreign currency

Geopolitics
- continuous engagement with US, China, Saudi and OIC

As a nation certain things that we stand for and project outward to foreigners should change little. Our problem is rhetoric that is spewed by our politicians. We air our dirty laundry too much and too often publicly resulting in unnecessary and unavoidable issues
because our partners recalibrate their stance as we seem to volatile

The fluctuation/erratic swings in external affairs are not as marked as you think they are.

Foreign governments know that 5 years = 60 months of any BAL/BNP government and cannot change Bangladesh's long-term foreign policy realities.

- Both BAL and BNP have to keep on good terms with the GCC due to our 4 million workers or so.
- Both BAL and BNP have to please the US and west where our exports go to and the US being the most powerful player in Bangladesh which can authorize or veto any military coup.
- Both BAL and BNP keep good relations with China including militarily.
- Both BAL and BNP have good relations with Japan, South Korea etc.

The only difference is this:

- BAL is more pro-India as opposed to the BNP which is more pro-Pakistan (Jamatis/Razkars are not even pro-Pakistan but wannabe Pakistanis).

However even BAL cannot be too close to India e.g. they still have not allowed transit, and the BNP cannot be too pro-Pakistani.

I agree with the bit about parliamentary select committees though.