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CHAMBER NEWS | ISSUE- 01 | JANUARY 2016

The Chamber News is published for private circulation by Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka. The Chamber assumes no responsibility for the correctness of items quoted in the bulletin although every effort is made to give information from sources believed to be reliable.

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• Become the leading chamber for providing research and analysis related to business in Bangladesh

• Attract quality membership, representative of a cross section of business• Effectively respond to the changing needs of our members• Enhance our capabilities through collaboration with local and international institutions• Engage and communicate regularly with our stakeholders• Recognise best practices that benefit business and society Chamber Building

VICE-PRESIDENTMR. AKHTER MATIN CHAUDHURY, FCA

MEMBERS

MR. M. ANIS UD DOWLA MR. TABITH M. AWAL MS. SIMEEN HOSSAIN

MR. MD. SAIFUL ISLAM MR. RUBAIYAT JAMIL MS. NIHAD KABIR

MR. HABIBULLAH N. KARIM MR. ADEEB H. KHAN, FCA MR. FRANCOIS DE MARICOURT

MR. KAMRAN T. RAHMAN

PRESIDENT

MR. SYED NASIM MANZUR

SECRETARY-GENERALMR. FAROOQ AHMED

CHAMBER COMMITTEE FOR 2016

VISION

MISSION

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CONTENTS

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20-21 22-23

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY NEW PRODUCTS

MEMBERS NEWS CHAMBER EVENTS

Waterless toilet could help millions who lack access to plumbing

Vibrating mattress reduces infant sleep apnea

IDLC wins first position under "Financial Services Sector" in the 15th ICAB National Award

The Chairman of National Board of Revenue (NBR) visited the Chamber on 6 December 2015

3-4EDITORIALParis Climate Accord

12-13CORPORATE NEWS

14INTERNATIONAL NEWS

5-8ARTICLEBest Global Companies To Work For

24-26REVIEW

9-11NATIONAL NEWS

27-34STATISTICS

34ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

19

MEMBER PROFILE

Unilever Bangladesh Limited

16-17

COUNTRY PROFILE

Belgium

ISSUE 01 JANUARY 2016

PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD

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2020 emissions. In the build-up, some 178 countries responsible for more than 90% of global emissions have already submitted their carbon emission pledges. The EU will cut its emissions by 40% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. The US will cut its emissions by 28% compared with 2005 levels. China has said that it will peak its emissions by 2030.

However, the pledges made so far will still not be sufficient to limit global warming to 20C. According to scientists, if the cuts are not fulfilled, global warming will rise to as high as 4.50C by 2100. Even if the cuts were fulfilled, they would still expect global warming to rise to at least 2.70C. There appear to be two main mechanisms to help overcome the shortfall. The first is to encourage non-state actors to cut emissions. The second option is for the UN to host regular reviews of countries’ emissions targets, with the ability to strengthen them if they are being met.

Moreover, the 20C bar set by UN is not a settled issue. Low-lying island countries like Maldives – which will be hit first and hardest by climate change – argue that 20C is not good enough. They favor a tougher goal of 1.50C (2.40F). But the Paris Accord, while accepting the 20C threshold, does not specify the steps that would bring the world safely under the limit within the deadline.

After two weeks of negotiation ending on 12 December 2015, the 195-nation United Nations Climate Change

Conference, or COP21 (Conference of Parties) in Paris ended with an agreement to limit the rise in global temperatures to less than 20C. The pact is the first to commit all countries to cut carbon emissions.

The UN climate accord has been billed as the last chance to avert the worst consequences of global warming: deadly drought, floods and storms, and rising seas that will engulf islands and densely populated coastlines. More than two decades of international diplomacy have failed to produce such an accord, which would require a transformation of the world’s energy system away from its reliance on highly polluting coal, oil and gas.

US President Obama was among the first world leaders to tweet his congratulations, describing the deal as “huge”. Earlier, key blocs, including the G77 group of developing countries, and nations such as China and India said they supported the proposals. The agreement to cut emissions by all countries would come into force in 2020.

The chairman of the group representing some of the world’s poorest countries called the deal historic, adding that “It is the best outcome we could have hoped

for, not just for the least developed countries, but for all citizens of the world.” The measures in the agreement include reviewing progress every five years, and $100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries by 2020.

Some aspects of the agreement will be legally binding, such as submitting an emissions reduction target and a regular review of that goal. However, the targets set by nations will not be binding. Observers say that the attempt to impose emissions targets on countries was one of the main reasons why Copenhagen talks in 2009 failed.

In Copenhagen six years ago, nations including China, India and South Africa were unwilling to sign up to a condition that they felt could hamper economic growth and development. The negotiators in Paris managed to avoid such an impasse by developing a system of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). Interestingly, China and India, the two top polluters that were perceived as a drag on the Copenhagen process, have joined forces in Paris to become the engine of COP21.

In the INDCs, which form the basis of the Paris agreement goal of keeping global temperature rise “well below” 20C (3.60F) above pre-industrial levels, nations outline their plans on their post-

EDITORIAL

PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD

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CHAMBER NEWS | ISSUE- 01 | JANUARY 2016

take the lead in this respect and band together with other highly vulnerable countries to get as much as possible from the rich nations for their adaptation action. It is worth mentioning here that Bangladesh successfully voiced its concerns at the 2009 Copenhagen Summit and drew the attention of the international community to its vulnerable conditions. Bangladesh generally receives a soft loan from the climate fund to cope with the impact of climate change but in COP21 it has demanded a grant from the fund. Bangladesh also negotiated whether the global temperature should be kept at 1.50C. Bangladesh also raised its voice to emphasize adaptation in order to save the coastal area from the rough impact of climate change. But money alone will not help. Instead of merely trying to get global sympathy by projecting itself as one of the worst affected and most vulnerable countries, Bangladesh should prepare programes and projects on which the aid money, when available, would be invested. This will convince the international community about the genuineness of the country’s adaptation needs. Bangladesh in fact has already a number of identified projects in its National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) and a long list of programes in its National Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (NCCSAP). It has already earned global admiration for its positive works towards mitigating the effects of climate change, viz., adoption of a strategy for low carbon emission, massive afforestation efforts, and establishing a $100 million Adaptation Fund from its own resources. Bangladesh and other poor, vulnerable, nations bear relatively little responsibility for global warming, and yet they are the worst victims of the impact of climate change. These countries will therefore need to persuade the developed and the major emerging nations to substantially reduce their carbon emissions and also enhance their funding for developing countries to fight the effects of climate change.

A significant success of the Paris Summit is that it brought to limelight the massive concern worldwide about the effects of climate change. Global public opinion against global warming is now at its peak and no nation can look away from the reality that emerged from Paris, in fact, starting from Copenhagen. This is perhaps one reason why the U.S. President risked announcing emission cuts by his country even before getting congressional approval.One of the sticking points in the build-up to Paris talks was climate finance – i.e., the money that rich countries would provide to poor countries to help adapt to the impacts of climate change and develop new clean energy infrastructure.UN efforts from the 1990s have been hamstrung by rows between developed and developing nations over sharing the emission-curbing burden and aiding climate-vulnerable poor countries. Developing nations have insisted that developed nations must shoulder the lion’s share of responsibility as they have emitted most of the greenhouse gases since the Industrial Revolution. But the rich nations say emerging giants must also do more.As in Copenhagen six years back, rich countries have made a promise to deliver $100 billion in climate finance facility annually from 2020, but it is unclear where that money would come from. There is, however, good news that commitments from industrialized nations alone are now between $60-70 billion a year. However, when including pledges from international development banks, NGOs and the private sector, that figure rises to nearly $200 billion.The Paris Accord is being spun as a success by influential people and organizations but it is not without pitfalls. The pact has almost nothing binding to ensure a safe and livable climate for future generations. It does not provide any specifics about how much of gas emissions will be cut by individual

countries and by what date the emission-cut targets will be achieved. Furthermore, while the Paris Accord allows countries to specify their own emission-cut target, there is no mechanism in it to ensure compliance.Another criticism against the Paris treaty is that bulk of the climate fund raised by the rich countries ($100 billion a year by 2020) is likely to go to countries like China, India, Brazil, Indonesia and some other Latin American countries for their mitigation action, afforestation, REDD-plus (reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation), capacity building and technology development and transfer activities. A small fund may therefore be left for adaptation and capacity building activities, for which all poor and vulnerable countries will compete.Nevertheless, most governments have expressed a lot of optimism about the likely result from emission cuts. The US and China, the two biggest polluters, made an unprecedented joint pledge to make concrete reductions in their carbon emissions. Support from the non-state actors appears to be stronger than before. Corporate giants like Mars and Unilever are all making bold commitments of their own and calling on governments to back them up. Financial behemoths like Allianz are starting to cut fossil fuels out of their investments, while international banks are creating specific green funds for the first time and pointing out the risk of the carbon bubble. Religious leaders like the Pope and leading representatives of Islam have also called for action to tackle climate change across the world.How far individual countries, in particular the least developed ones, are likely to gain from the pact is still unclear, but these countries have a great responsibility to raise their demand in the post-2020 phase for an earmarked adaptation fund with predictable and sustained financing. As the most vulnerable country, Bangladesh should

Nevertheless, most governments have expressed a lot of optimism about the likely result from emission cuts. The US and China, the two biggest polluters, made an unprecedented joint pledge to make concrete reductions in their carbon emissions

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deal of freedom and enjoyment in their roles. The perks are pretty incredible too." Notice they put the perks last.

Data analytics software maker listened to employees in Germany who wanted to be savvier about social media technologies. So the company launched a "Social Summer" last year that not only offered training in the use of tools like Facebook and Twitter, but also resulted in more SAS Institute employees interacting directly with the public, including job seekers. Staffers also appreciate the company's internal site, The Hub. "Professional knowledge, a bit of gossip, discussions of private interests, the chance to meet international colleagues — The Hub provides all of this," says one German employee. "For me as a 'SASler,' this internal network has become a real virtual linchpin."

Talk of "holocracy" and radically decentralized workplaces is the rage these days. But specialty manufacturer W.L. Gore has been flat as a pancake for more than half a century. Gore allows employees to form their teams based on the ability of individual employees to recruit peers to a compelling project. The maker of Gore-Tex fabric and Glide tooth floss also lets employees rank colleagues on their contributions to the company — a ranking that helps

determine salary raises. Says one Italian employee, "Anyone who wants can contribute beyond their role in different contexts that definitely allows the company to save in terms of headcount, but also provides an important opportunity for personal growth."

Once a month or so, the data storage specialist brings all new hires from around the globe to its global headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif. or European headquarters in Amsterdam. The occasion is an orientation program dubbed Training On All Special Things, or TOAST. The day-long event includes sessions on NetApp's vision, culture, values and goals, and a chance to have lunch with CEO Tom Georgens and other senior leaders. Employees appreciate the approachable style reflected in the event. "All top executives are accessible and they listen and try to change things when needed," says a Canadian employee. "They believe that this culture will create more business and it does. Our customers feel this culture through happy employees."

The mobile telecommunications recently launched an internal campaign dubbed "Be More," urging employees to "discover," "disrupt" and "deliver" as the firm seeks to move from being a service provider to a partner anticipating customer needs. In Argentina, a select

Creating a great workplace is challenging enough. Being in the top of all multinationals around the

globe is tougher still. Take a look at this year's roster of best global companies as ranked by the Great Place to Work Institute which determined its 2015 ranking of the World’s Best Multinational Workplaces by surveying about 3.9 million employees at more than 6,600 companies that participated in Best Workplaces competitions from late 2014 to mid-2015 in 51 countries. Together, these companies employ more than 12 million employees worldwide, making this annual study the largest of its kind.

To be considered for Great Place to Work’s World’s Best Multinational Workplaces, a company must appear on at least five national Best Workplaces lists, have at least 5,000 employees worldwide, and have at least 40% (or 5,000 employees) of its workforce based outside its home country. They are the best of the best.

The tech giant is famous for great perks. But underneath those is a culture defined largely by caring relationships, employee autonomy and staffer's conviction that they are making history — whether that's through better information searches, self-driving cars or wearable devices. "I honestly believe we are helping make the world a better place," says a Googler in Switzerland. Or listen to what a Google Canada employee says: "Google has been incredible at allowing individuals to just try new things and experiment. This has given employees here in Canada a great

BEST GLOBAL COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

ARTICLE

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group of employees called "Bishops" are charged with spreading the gospel of fresh thinking through activities such as creative workshops and an Innovation Week. Says Barney Quinn, Telefónica's global chief human resources officer: "One of the priorities of Telefónica is to promote the continuing education of our professionals since we operate in a very dynamic sector and our company has to constantly reinvent itself."

EMCAs EMC pushes beyond its roots in data storage hardware, it is taking pains to bring employees up to speed on the "third platform" of IT — meaning the confluence of mobile devices, the cloud, big data and social media. The company's director for the EMEA region, Adrian McDonald, has a blog for internal and external consumption called "The Bigger Game" that discusses how EMC sees and is influencing the future of IT. "The unique feature of the Third Platform is that employees are increasingly directing the pace," he wrote recently. Indeed, EMC employees see themselves as among the pace setters. Says one: "EMC makes you feel proud — both in regards to the market position and the overall interest & responsibility to the world around us."

Microsoft is betting big on trust, autonomy and collaboration. For example, the company has expanded work-from-home options dramatically in recent years. Four years ago, about 40 percent of Microsoft employees in Argentina and Uruguay telecommuted. Now the figure is about 90 percent. And last year, Microsoft stopped ranking employees by performance, with the main criteria being individual accomplishments. Now Microsoft assesses individuals in three ways: their individual results and business impact; how much they contribute to the success

of others; and how much their results build on the work of others. "The culture is great," says a Microsoft employee in Argentina who works alternative hours to help care for his kids. "I don't have to give any explanation to my managers, as long as I deliver results."

Spain-based bank with operations throughout Latin America has fostered a highly collaborative culture. Contemporary, cooperation-oriented workspaces are part of the reason why. In Venezuela, for example, BBVA places tables in open office settings for short, spontaneous team meetings, and restaurant areas are equipped with wi-fi and can be used for informal gatherings. These facilities are in addition to dedicated meeting rooms that can be booked online as well as "touchdown rooms" — small spaces where employees can communicate with others privately. Employees see the collaborative spirit coming from managers as well. Says an employee in Peru: "The bosses are visible and participants, regardless of hierarchy. There is a real meritocracy — here, if you work and strive you can make a career."

The agriculture tech company takes employee safety seriously. In India, field-based employees driving to farmer clients in small towns and villages face poor roads and hazardous traffic situations. So Monsanto began a vehicle safety program more than a decade ago that outfits employees with air-conditioned Mahindra Bolero SUVs that include a fire extinguisher, safety hammer to break glass in an emergency, and a safety grill in the rear. To help safe driving practices trickle down to employees' families, Monsanto's India operations share testimonials in a monthly vehicle safety newsletter. What's more, Monsanto gave all India-based employees first-

aid kits and training last year, which resulted in them providing first aid in 28 emergencies, such as road accidents they observed while traveling.

It's not all about money at American Express. Proof that the financial services firm has a heart was on display this June, when thousands of employees gathered at the New York Metropolitan Opera House for a memorial service in honor of deceased executive Ed Gilligan. The tribute also was broadcast live to offices ranging from Fort Lauderdale to Sydney. Gilligan began as an intern 35 years ago and became president in 2013, and speeches at the tribute remembered him as a champion of diversity, mentorship, and employee development. New York, Salt Lake City and Fort Lauderdale employee choirs closed the service with a Gilligan favorite, "Stand by Me." AmEx has that stand-by-me feel in general. Says an employee in India: "It's home away from home."

The hotel giant is helping to raise the work-life balance bar globally. When Marriott entered the Indian market in 2001, most Indian hotels expected employees to work six days a week. Marriott, though, decided to give staffers two days off every second week. Rajeev Menon, Marriott's Chief Operations Officer for South East Asia and Pacific, recalls the decision caused an "uproar" in the hospitality field, with some industry leaders calling it unsustainably generous to employees. But Marriott stuck to its "People First" principles and the shorter hours. And now that it has grown rapidly in the region — with 25 hotels in South Asia and about 50 more planned — some rivals have reversed course and given their staff shorter hours too.

CHAMBER NEWS | ISSUE- 01 | JANUARY 2016

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A lack of clear communication at any organization isn't pretty. But beauty and cosmetics company Belcorp has a system that all but ensures each of its 10,185 employees spread throughout North and South America knows where the company is heading. Called "Primary Groups," the program involves a series of cascading monthly meetings. Following a gathering of President Eduardo Belmont Anderson and his executive team, the vice presidents meet with directors and area managers for roughly 2.5 hours. Then area managers recreate those meetings with their teams. The information flows both ways, with important points from employees rising upward. Says one staffer about the Primary Groups initiative: "It allows us to know the results from Belcorp and also allows us to quickly take action."

The global bank has a program to send young employees of diverse backgrounds from Vancouver to remote locations in the Yukon Territory, where it can be difficult to find talent. The staffers from Vancouver are called "Northern Stars." The Stars reach out to the immigrant "newcomer" customers in northern locations even as the young employees get opportunities to accelerate their careers. Scotiabank's training opportunities in general are appreciated by employees in both its home country Canada and its Latin America operations. "We are a team that looks for professional and personal development," says a staffer in Peru. Adds a Canadian employee: "This organization gives equal opportunities to every deserving employee in attaining professional growth and invests so much in employees' training."

The design software maker is tapping employees' enthusiasm to widen its reach in the social media age. Autodesk's "Employee Advocacy" program allows staffers to share approved content externally with their personal social networks. To sweeten the social sharing pot, employees earn points with each post that can be used for rewards. This program is addition to a recent campaign to connect employees to the company's vision of "Helping People Imagine, Design and Create a Better World." Staffers were asked to submit illustrations and comments about what the vision means to them. This activity and the advocacy initiative could feel smarmy to cynics. But employees buy in. Says one: "We are enabling a future that will be more sustainable; we truly have an impact on future generations."

When technology giant Cisco promoted Chuck Robbins to the CEO post earlier this year, the move wasn't a quiet celebration confined to the C-suite. The company of 70,000-some employees across the globe came together and partied. Cisco held what it called "Cisco Rocks!" events around the world, beginning with a July 27 concert for 30,000 employees and their guests in Silicon Valley with performances from stars Christina Aguilera and Keith Urban. Then, over the next four days, Cisco threw 46 more parties in locations ranging from Boxborough, Massachusetts, to Bangalore, to Beijing. Employees dig the inclusive, exuberant culture. Said one after the Cisco Rocks! event in San Jose: "Beyond EPIC @cisco day today. #NewCEO & new day for an amazing place to work! Thanks for the fun!"

The customer relationship manage-ment provider aims to keep call-cen-ter work from being a dead end with plenty of training and promotion op-portunities. In Atento's Uruguay op-erations, for example, 90 percent of middle managers grew into their po-sitions from within the company. And leaders get plenty of development. Last year, 140 supervisors in Uruguay participated in a three-day program called "Leaders Transform." Sessions covered change management as well as "neuromanagement" — applying neuroscience to economics and man-agement. Employees generally give Atento high marks for its develop-ment options. "Atento is a company that provides us with opportunities for growth," says an employee in Peru. Adds another: "It teaches us to be competitive, gives us opportunity to believe in and have the power to form a career path."

The beverage company finds many ways for employees to connect with and enjoy its iconic brands — which include Guinness, Johnnie Walker and Crown Royal. All employees of the Crown Royal production facility in Amherstburg, Ontario, recently got the chance to taste the new Crown Royal Regal Apple product before it was sold to the general public. Events like this are common at Diageo. Last year, the company opened just the fourth Brew house in the 255-year history of Guinness beer. Every Diageo employee in Ireland participated in festivities associated with the event. "We were all so proud and excited to be part of it all," one Irish employee said of the official opening, "It was like waiting for Christmas."

employee in Poland. Adds a staffer in Denmark, "the trusting and calm attitude shown by management rubs off on the entire organization and contributes to a good working environment." Or consider what a Swiss employee says: "Often, I have a feeling that I am running my own Business in Hilti!"

The professional services giant just launched a $1 million peer recognition program. Dubbed "Better begins with you," the program highlights individuals and teams who consistently show behaviors that help the company achieve its purpose of building a better working world. EY set up four award categories that tie in to its 2020 vision: driving exceptional client service; developing outstanding leaders and teams; pursuing innovation; and strengthening communities. Of all those recognized, the company will narrow the pool to 20 global finalists, and employees will vote online for four winners. Each of these will then will work with senior leaders to define how they will use a $250,000 investment to build a better working world.

The clothing retail chain professes "fundamental respect for the individual and belief in people's ability to use their own initiative." And employees say H&M lives up to its word. "Every employee can be himself," says an Austrian employee. A Danish staffer says: "If you have ideas or dreams about advancing in the company it is possible if you show what you can do and are willing to learn something new." Adds a Finnish employee: "Both the supervisors and other colleagues form a positive atmosphere. I can be myself and I feel that my work is appreciated." The appreciation translates into profit-sharing.

Source: http://fortune.com

France-based hotel chain aims to give new employees a warm welcome. In India, new staffers get to stay one night at their hotel, as well as have dinner and breakfast on the company. This perk also gives employees a deeper understanding of the customer's experience and allows hotel managers to gather feedback on service levels. On their first day, employees at the Sofitel in Mumbai are given a "Boarding Pass" to start their "Sofitel Magnifique Journey." Those employees also are welcomed by the hotel general manager and leadership team over high tea. New employees of the Mercure Lavasa hotel are treated a day-long tour of the city of Lavasa, both to boost employees' knowledge of the locale and connect new staffers to the team.

Talk about hospitality: after one year of service, all active full-time and part-time Hyatt employees are allowed to book complimentary room nights at any Hyatt hotel in the world. Staffers are eligible to book up to 12 free room nights per year, and they receive a 50 percent discount on food and beverage purchases made in any of the hotel's outlets for reservations of up to eight people. To make these retreats even more relaxing for employees, Hyatt throws in a 20 percent discount on all spa services. And sometimes, Hyatt properties will add rooms for an employee's family during weddings or other special events. The generous perks have a business payoff as well: staffers experience what guests do, which can translate into better service.

The maker of Snickers bars, Hubba Bubba gum and M&Ms has a philanthropy program that's sweet for both employees and non-profit organizations. The Mars Ambassador Program sets up "MAP assignments" that link staffers'

professional skills with the needs of groups around the globe working to better society or the environment in ways that align with Mars' business goals. For example, employees have joined forces with the Chicago Community Oral Health Forum, which works to address oral health disparities in Chicago, and the International Cocoa Initiative, a foundation that works to improve labor conditions in West Africa. One Mars employee in Denmark spoke highly of the company's philanthropy: "we make a difference every day, even if it's just a small difference".

Although many companies claim to be ethical, employees at Cadence say it walks the integrity talk. Cadence, which makes technology for designing computer chips, has ethics training programs as well as multiple ways for employees to raise concerns. These include anonymous reporting through the corporate governance website, an email address or a telephone hotline. In addition, Cadence aims to resolve internal conflicts fairly. In one case, a manager felt a direct report was not performing his duties. But the employee relations team helped both sides see that trust had eroded in the relationship. Rather than discipline the staffer, he was re-assigned. "At Cadence, it is not just what you do and accomplish, it is very much how you do it," says a Canadian employee.

Employees at this toolmaker based in Liechtenstein say it has crafted a culture that respects and trusts employees. Each month, for example, 20 randomly selected employees meet for breakfast with the executive board and discuss issues of current interest. In addition, executives lead regular "Culture Journey Team Camps" focused on values and goals. "This is a company for which values are not something that just hangs on the wall and looks good," says an

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Foreign exchange reserve hits US$ 27.35 billion

Overseas employment jumps 41.39%

Inflation falls to 6.05% in November 2015

The country’s foreign currency reserves at the Bangladesh Bank increased by $5.04 billion or 22.59 percent to $27.35 billion on 23 December 2015 from $22.31 billion in December 2014.

A total of 246507 Bangladeshis got foreign jobs during July-November 2015 compared to 174341 during July-November 2014, showing a rise of 72166 employees or 41.39 percent, according to the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET). During July-November 2015, a total of 59140 documented workers went to Oman, 55827 to Qatar, 35491 to Saudi Arabia, 22556 to Singapore, 20341 to Malaysia, 8452 to Jordan, 7861 to United Arab Emirates, 6958 to Kuwait, 6809 to Lebanon, 6480 to Bahrain, 2252 to Brunei, 2149 to Mauritius, 946 to South Korea, 137 to Libya and 11108 to other countries.

The country's general inflation on point-to-point basis (as per the base year 2005-06 =100) fell by 0.16 percentage points to 6.05 percent in November 2015 from 6.21 percent in November 2014 and 0.14 percentage points from 6.19 percent in October 2015, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). The food inflation decreased by 0.72 percentage points to 5.72 percent in November 2015 compared to 6.44 percent

Source: Bangladesh Bank

Source: Bangladesh Bank

Source: BMET

Source: Bangladesh Bank

Private sector credit growth rises

Agricultural credit disbursement rises by 16.58%

The credit growth in the private sector rose by 1.10 percentage point to 13.22 percent in October 2015 from 12.12 percent in October 2014. Meanwhile, the credit growth in the government (net) sector fell by 6.94 percentage point to -4.26 percent in October 2015 from 2.68 percent in October 2014.

Agricultural credit (including non-farm rural credit) disbursed by banks during July-November 2015 amounted to a provisional Tk.61.65 billion as compared to Tk.52.88 billion during July-November 2014, showing a rise of Tk.8.77 billion or 16.58 percent. The credit disbursement achieved 37.59 percent of total target (Tk.164.00 billion) set for 2015-16. Agricultural credit disbursed by banks in November 2015 increased by Tk.1.28 billion or 9.10 percent to Tk.15.34 billion from Tk.14.06 billion in November 2014. Meanwhile, total recovery of agricultural loan during July-November 2015 fell by Tk.2.94 billion or 5.03 percent to Tk.61.44 billion from Tk.58.50 billion during July-November 2014. But agricultural credit recovery by banks in November 2015 rose by Tk.2.63 billion or 19.48 percent to Tk.16.13 billion from Tk.13.50 billion in November 2014.

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in November 2014. The non-food inflation rose by 0.72 percentage points to 6.56 percent in November 2015 compared to 5.84 percent in November 2014 because of a rise in house rent, transportation costs, education and medical expenses and prices of other non-food items.

Implementation of Annual Development Programme (ADP) during July-November 2015 by all the ministries and divisions amounted to Tk.170.12 billion or 17 percent of Tk.970.00 billion under the revised ADP allocation (Except Self-Financed) outlays for 2015-16 fiscal years, according to the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED). During the period, the highest ADP expenditure was by the Local Govt. Division which utilized Tk.42.88 billion (27 percent) from the allocated Tk.161.42 billion for 2015-16. The Power Division utilized Tk.30.40 billion (18 percent) from the allocated Tk. 165.22 billion for 2015-16, the Bridges Division utilized Tk.11.41 billion (13 percent) from the allocated Tk.89.61 billion, the Ministry of Primary & Mass Education utilized Tk.10.83 billion (21 percent) from the allocated Tk.51.26 billion, the Roads & Highway Division utilized Tk.8.02 billion (14 percent) from the allocated Tk.56.39 billion and the Ministry of Education utilized Tk.7.23 billion (17 percent) from the allocated Tk.41.83 billion.

In the first quarter (July-September 2015) of 2015-16, industrial term loan disbursement by banks and non-banking financial institutions fell by Tk.1.09 billion or 0.85 percent to Tk.127.00 billion as compared to Tk.128.09 billion during July-September 2014. The disbursement of industrial term loans during July-September 2015 decreased by Tk.22.80 billion or 15.22 percent from Tk.149.80 billion during April-June 2015. Meanwhile, the recovery of industrial term loan fell by Tk.6.42 billion or 5.48 percent to Tk.110.72 billion during July-September 2015 against Tk.117.14 billion during July-September 2014. But the recovery of industrial term loans during July-September 2015 also rose by Tk.23.11 billion or 17.27 percent from Tk.133.83 billion during April-June 2015.

The inward remittances received from Bangladeshi nationals working abroad reached US$6.175 billion during July-November 2015, according to Bangladesh Bank. The remittance fell by $0.037 billion or 0.60 percent from $6.212 million received during July-November 2014. During July-November 2015, $1249.28 million remittance were received from Saudi Arabia, $1101.48 million from the United Arab Emirates, $1051.98 million from U.S.A., $543.07 million from Malaysia, $423.44 million from Kuwait, $382.21 million from Oman, $353.79 million from U.K., $218.51 million from Bahrain, $153.59 million from Singapore, $142.68 million from Italy, $148.12 million from Qatar and $406.43 million from other countries.

17% ADP implemented during July-November 2015

Tk 127 billion industrial term loan disbursed in the first quarter

US$ 6.175 billion remittance received during July-November 2015

Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics

Source: IMED

Source: Bangladesh Bank

Source: Bangladesh Bank

CHAMBER NEWS | ISSUE- 01 | JANUARY 2016

get exemption from all types of import duty, regulatory duty, supplementary duty and value added tax (VAT), subject to some conditions. To this effect, the NBR issued a Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) on December 6, 2015.

The revenue board has tagged three conditions for the park developers to enjoy the facility. The developers must have VAT registration number to import products duty free for the parks. Also, the names of products, their description and quantity must be approved and certified beforehand by the hi-tech park authority.

However, construction materials available in Bangladesh including MS rod/bar, cement, pre-fabricated building and iron/steel sheet will not get duty exemption. Also, materials that are not directly used in construction and development of hi-tech parks will not be entitled to enjoy the facility. Import of office equipment, air conditioners, refrigerators, passenger vehicles, home appliances and other similar types of products will not be entitled to enjoy duty exemption. Earlier, the government offered 10-year income tax-exemption facility to attract foreign investors to hi-tech parks.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has relaxed the rules related to banks' investment in stocks in a move that some analysts say would boost the ailing market. From January,2016, banks' capital given to their stock market subsidiaries will not be counted as stockmarket exposure, the central bank said in a notice. The Banking Companies Act 1991, which was amended in 2013, has limited a bank's stock market exposure to 25 percent of its capital. The capital includes paid-up capital, share premium, statutory reserve and retained earnings. There are 51 full-fledged merchant banks in Bangladesh, and most of them are owned by banks as their subsidiaries, according to Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission.

Non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) working abroad can take loans from banks for housing purposes. A Bangladesh Bank circular, issued by its Foreign Exchange Policy Department (FEPD), said that to facilitate housing finance to NRBs, it has been decided that Authorized Dealers (ADs) may extend mortgage loans in Taka to NRBs working abroad for the purpose of housing in Bangladesh. This will be allowed subject to observance of the existing guidelines of Prudential Regulations for Consumer Financing (Regulation for Housing finance) issued by Banking Regulation and Policy Department. The AD banks are also instructed that the housing finance facility shall be provided to NRBs at a maximum debt equity ratio of 50:50. The equity portion shall be provided by the borrower-NRBs either through their inward remittances or through debits to their non-resident bank accounts fed by foreign sources.

The Bangladesh Bank recently relaxed foreign-exchange regulations allowing all C- category industries in the Export Processing Zones (EPZs) to borrow from the Export Development Fund (EDF). Under the relaxed rules, the commercial banks are now allowed to extend their foreign-currency loans under the EDF to Type-C industries in the EPZs. The central bank issued a circular to this effect. It will facilitate all C-category industries in the EPZs to take low-cost EDF loan. It will also help all such industries to meet their short-term liquidity requirements.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has offered duty exemption to help investors import products for developing hi-tech parks. Hi-tech park developers will now be able to

The government has relaxed the previously-imposed ban on export of raw jute for some selective categories-- - Machine Processed Cut Fiber (10-120 mm), Jute Sliver and Jute Tote. But the export ban on other categories of raw jute will remain effective. The government imposed ban on raw jute export in November 3, 2015 for one month to raise supply for the local jute mills. However, following requests from various countries, the government has eased the export ban for some categories of raw jute. A circular in this regard has been issued on December 15, 2015.

Six banks have signed separate agreements with Bangladesh Bank(BB) to disburse low-cost, long-term foreign currency loans among manufacturers. The banks will get the funds from the central bank under the World Bank-funded Financial Sector Support Project (FSSP).The banks are Dutch Bangla, IFIC, South East, Standard Bank, Trust Bank and Standard Chartered. Ten other banks also signed the deals with the BB earlier. While the size of the fund is $300 million, banks can lend money for ventures in the productive industrial sectors for three to ten years under the project. Banks will have to pay an interest rate between 3.25 percent and 4.25 percent to the BB to use the refinancing fund. The interest rate will be set by considering the respective banks' CAMELS rating. The banks will impose a maximum of a 3 percent spread to disburse the loans to entrepreneurs, meaning that the banks cannot charge more than 6.25 percent from the borrowers.

Rules for banks' investment in stocks eased

NRBs to get housing loans in local currency

Grip over EDF loan for EPZ industries loosened

Duty exemption offered to high-tech park developers

Ban on raw jute export relaxed

Six banks sign deals with BB in refinance scheme

11

12

Hashem Foods Limited (HFL), a concern of Sajeeb Group, and Green Delta Capital Limited (GDCL) recently signed an agreement under which GDCL will act as Mandated Lead Arranger for Hashem Foods Limited to raise upto US$25 million through foreign currency term loan facility.

Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd recently recommended 215 per cent interim cash dividend considering the performance of the company from January 1, 2015 to September 30, 2015.The company also reported earning per share (EPS) of Tk 42.63, net asset value (NAV) per share of Tk. 219.51 and net operating cash flow per share(NOCFPS) of Tk 15.58 for the period that ended on September 30, 2015 as against Tk 39.72, Tk 193.95 and Tk. 15.70 respectively for the period that ended on September 30, 2014.

Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd

The board of directors of Far East Knitting & Dyeing Industries Limited recently decided to increase authorized capital of the company from Tk 1,500.00 million to Tk 3,000.00 million. The board also recommended 5.0 per cent cash dividend and 10 per cent stock dividend for the year that ended on June 30, 2015. The company also reported profit after tax of Tk. 314.47 million, EPS of Tk. 2.38 and NOCFPS of Tk 2.58 for the year that ended on June 30, 2015.

The board of directors of Bangas Ltd recently recommended 15 per cent stock dividend for the year that ended on June 30, 2015. The company also reported EPS of Tk 3.55 and NOCFPS of Tk. 1.29 for the year that ended on June 30, 2015.

Bangas Ltd

Under a loan agreement signed recently, Robi is borrowing $99 million from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's private sector arm, to expand its third-generation (3G) network in Bangladesh. The operator runs 3,800 3G sites and 8,000 sites for 2G coverage. Robi plans to add another 1,500 3G sites and 3,000 2G sites to its network by 2016 with the investment. The loan repayment period is seven years with a two-year grace period. Between January 2014 and September 2015, Robi, the third largest carrier by subscribers, invested $500 million.

Robi Axiata Limited

The board of directors of Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Ltd recommended 15 per cent cash dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2015. The company also reported EPS of Tk 0.90, NAV per share of Tk 68.12 and NOCFPS of Tk 11.52 for the year.

Power Grid Companyof Bangladesh Ltd

Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) recently approved the IPO (initial public offering) proposal of Doreen Power Generations and Systems Ltd. The company will raise a fund worth Tk 580 million by offloading 20 million shares at an offer price of Tk 29, including the premium of Tk 19 for each ten taka share. It will utilise the fund raised under fixed price method to set up the power plants for its two subsidiary companies and repay the bank loans. According to the audited financial statement for the year ended on June 30, 2014, the company's net asset value (NAV) was Tk 34.87 per share. The company's earnings per share (EPS) has stood at Tk 3.19 based on weighted average of last five years. Alliance Financial Services and ICB Capital Management have been appointed the issue managers of the Doreen Power Generations and Systems.

Doreen Power Generations and Systems Ltd

The board of directors of Tallu Spinning Mills Limited recently recommended 10 percent stock dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2015. The company also reported EPS of Tk 0.13, NAV per share of Tk 16.32 and NOCFPS of Tk 0.75 for the year.

CORPORATE NEWS

13

Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) recently approved the IPO (initial public offering) proposal of Dragon Sweater and Spinning Ltd which will raise Tk 400 million under the fixed price method. As per regulatory approval, the Dragon Sweater and Spinning will offload 40 million shares at an offer price of Tk 10 each. The company will raise a capital worth Tk 400 million to purchase machineries along bearing the cost of constructions. The company’s earning per share (EPS) calculated as per weighted average of last years is of Tk 1.33, whereas the net asset value (NAV) is of Tk 18.79 per share.

Dragon Sweater and Spinning Ltd

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) gave its consent to ACME Laboratories Limited to sell 50 million ordinary shares to eligible institutional investors (EII) under the book building method. ACME Laboratories will conduct bidding to sell 50 million ordinary shares to the EIIs. The procedure approving the prospectus will be started after fixing the issue price through the bidding. As per the financial statement for the year ended on June 30, 2014, the ACME Laboratories' EPS and NAV are Tk 5.65 and Tk 66.16 respectively.

Delta Brac Housing Finance Corporation Ltd. (DBH) at its 19th annual general meeting (AGM) approved 30 per cent cash dividend for the year ended June 30, 2015. The company’s operating profit reached Tk 1.44 billion and company's funds under management was in excess of Tk 53.95 billion in the fiscal 2014-15. The earnings per share during the year was Tk. 5.90.

An EGM of United Power Generation & Distribution Company Ltd (UPGDCL) recently approved a scheme of amalgamation of Shajahanullah Power Generation Company Ltd. (SPGCL) and United Ashuganj Power Ltd. (UAPL) with UPGDCL. SPGCL is a 28 MW gas fired commercial IPP located at Kumargaon, Sylhet and UAPL is a 53 MW Quick Rental Power Plant at Ashuganj, Brahmanbaria.

The amalgamation is expected to transform UPGDCL and along with it, the Transferor Companies, UAPL and SPGCL into sound and healthy enterprises both technically and financially in terms of assets base, revenue and profit and also in terms of optimization of shareholders' return, a statement of United Power Generation said. Besides, the company's revenue and profitability will be raised substantially.

ACME Laboratories Limited

United Power Generation & Distribution Company Ltd

Delta Brac Housing Finance Corporation Ltd

Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited (BGFCL) inaugurated the drilling activities of Titas well No. 25. The company expects to add 20-25 million cubic feet (mmcfd) natural gas to the national grid per day from Titas well No. 25 under the implementing projects. Presently, this raises the overall production of BGFCL to 830 mmcfd of natural gas from its producing fields. BGFCL meets more than 31 percent of the country’s natural gas demand.

Western Marine Shipyard recently exported a passenger ship to ply the waters at Tokealau, a non-self governing territory of New Zealand. The construction of the 43-meter long ship with a capacity of 60 passengers began on 19 February 2014. It is a SOLAS (safety of life at sea) passenger ship, which means it will have the highest safety measurers considering all possible risks at sea.

Western Marine Shipyard Limited

Agricultural Marketing Company Ltd–AMCL (PRAN), at its 30th annual general meeting (AGM), declared 32 percent cash dividend for its shareholders for the year 2014-15. The company reported pre-tax profit of Tk 7.12 crore, gross turnover Tk 210 crore, and the total export figure of Tk 34.8 crore (including incentive) for the fiscal year 2014-15.

Agricultural Marketing Company Ltd

The board of directors of Keya Cosmetics Ltd recommended 20 per cent stock dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2015. The board also decided to increase the authorized capital of the company from Tk 6500 million to Tk 7500 million subject to approval of shareholders in the annual general meeting (AGM). The company also reported consolidated earnings per share (EPS) of Tk 0.29, consolidated net asset value (NAV) per share of Tk 16.67 and consolidated net operating cash flow per share (NOCFPS) of Tk 1.87 for the year ended on June 30, 2015.

Keya Cosmetics LtdBangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited

14

Global Oil price falls to 11-year low The price of oil has fallen to its lowest level in 11 years as commodity markets responded to signs that the global glut of oil will deepen in 2016. The latest fall in prices was prompted by concerns that a market already awash with oil from the two biggest suppliers – Saudi Arabia and Russia – would receive additional supply from the lifting of sanctions against Iran and the ending of a 40-year US export ban. In London, the price of benchmark Brent crude hit a low of $36.05 (£24.22) a barrel on 21 December 2015, its lowest since 2004 and below the low point reached during the financial crisis of 2008-09.

While oil ministers from Qatar and Iraq sought to talk up the prospects of a recovery in the oil price, some analysts said crude was likely to go lower in the short term, given that production is close to record levels at a time when demand has been affected by the slowdown in China and other leading emerging markets.

Vietnam economy grows at highest rate in five yearsVietnam’s economy in 2015 grew at its fastest pace in five years, shaking off regional economic worries with strong exports, record foreign investment and buoyant domestic consumption. The nation recorded a GDP growth rate of 6.68 percent, easily surpassing the government’s 6.2 percent target with a figure that looks set to be one of Southeast Asia’s strongest showings for the year. Much of the growth has been fuelled by a flurry of international interest with disbursed foreign investment surging 17.4 percent compared to last year with a record-high of $14.5 billion.

While regional neighbors like Thailand have suffered, Vietnam has proved resistant to the slowdown of its giant northern neighbor, China partly through

state intervention. The State Bank of Vietnam weakened the dong three times this year to spur exports after China depreciated the yuan. In 2014 Vietnam’s GDP growth was just under six percent, while that of 2013 was only 5.42 percent.

India deal signed with Japan to buy high-speed bullet trainIndia has agreed to buy a high-speed bullet train from Japan, which will link Mumbai and Ahmedabad, cutting travel time on the route from eight hours to two. The agreements with Japan came during a three-day visit to India by the Japanese Prime Minister recently. Earlier, India’s cabinet cleared the $14.7 billion cost of building the bullet train system. The deal was one of a raft of agreements reached after talks between the two sides in Delhi.

Pakistan $8 billion remittances received in the first five monthsOverseas Pakistanis sent remittances amounting to $8 billion in the first five months (July-November 2015) of fiscal year 2015-16, which translates into a year-on-year increase of 7.6%, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Inflows from Saudi Arabia ($2.4 billion) were the largest source of remittances in July-November, up 11.2% from the corresponding period of the last year. Remittances received from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) increased 12.3% during the period to almost $1.8 billion on a year-on-year basis, SBP data shows. Remittances from the United States and the United Kingdom remained $1.1 billion and $1 billion, respectively. Remittances from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, excluding Saudi Arabia and the UAE, clocked up at $960.5 million in July-November, which is 11.8% higher than the remittances received from these countries in the same months of the preceding fiscal year.

Japan trade deficit narrows but exports remain weakJapan’s trade balance narrowed in November 2015, but exports fell again, official data showed. Japan’s finance ministry said the trade deficit in November shrank by nearly 58 percent from a year ago to ¥379.7 billion, beating market expectations of a ¥480 billion deficit. Total exports fell by 3.3 percent, while imports were down 10.2 percent from the same month last year. The slump was acute regarding shipments to China. The disappointing export figures underscore concerns about China’s growth, despite signs of a modest pickup in the Japanese economy. In October, 2015 Japan posted its first on-year trade surplus in seven months as the value of energy imports slumped on falling oil prices.

UK employers warns of cost risks from higher minimum wage and skills levy Britain's government risks intervening too much in the job market with a higher minimum wage and a new levy to fund apprenticeships, which could threaten the country's economic growth prospects, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said. "The government must be careful not to sacrifice prosperity for political expediency by saddling businesses with costs that could harm investment, which is critical to increasing productivity," said the director-general of the Confederation of British Industry. Just over half the services firms that took part in a CBI survey said they would raise their prices, and 27 percent said they would employ fewer workers after the higher minimum wage is introduced in April. On the apprenticeship levy, only one in six companies said it was the right approach to fixing Britain's skills shortage. Almost half said it would be costly and bureaucratic, the CBI said as it released the survey of 342 firms, which together employ nearly 1 million people.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

15

of the planter. The system can generate and store enough energy to power the lamp for two hours a day.

both solid and liquid waste into a receptacle below – all the while blocking odor. Sedimentation will separate the two waste products and, once the liquid waste becomes a vapor, it is transported to a chamber with novel “nano-coated hydrophilic beads.” It is here that the vapor becomes water that is stored and able to be used for household and gardening purposes. The solid waste is driven up using an archimedes screw and coated in paraffin wax for future, “pathogen-free” disposal. This process also creates energy to fuel the other processes of the toilet, though a hand crank will also be available for manual powering.

Currently there are still 2.3 billion people in the world without access to basic toilets. But hopefully this statistic will drop drastically after the Nano Membrane Toilet is brought to the areas which need it most. These areas do not have the infrastructure to support toilets that require running water, but this model of toilet is able to treat human waste on-site without water. And the system only costs households 5 US cents per day. Cranfield University in the UK has developed the Nano Membrane Toilet, a contained system which uses a rotating barrier to “flush”

Researchers at Peru’s Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología (UTEC) have developed a technique for capturing the electricity emitted from plants. The Plantalámpara (the “plant lamp”) draws its power from the soil, offering a low-cost lighting solution for remote and rural areas that do not have access to electricity. The prototype system includes a container holding an electric grid buried in dirt that also supports a growing plant. As the plant grows, the oxidation process generates free electrons that are captured by the grid and stored in a battery, which in turn powers an LED lamp on the side

WATERLESS TOILET COULD HELP MILLIONS WHO LACK ACCESS TO PLUMBING

PLANT LAMP POWERED BY THE SOIL

Even with the efficiency of today's digital communications, the modern office still churns through its fair share of paper. The PaperLab from Epson lets paper-hungry offices recycle their used paper on site, creating new sheets while using a minimal amount of water. The PaperLab, which is planned for commercial development in 2016, can recycle many kinds of paper, from standard sheets to colored,

scented paper. One of the keys to the compact technology is the PaperLab’s ability to recycle the paper through a process called Dry Fiber Technology, which uses a minimal amount of water to break the paper down into fibers. Binding agents can then be mixed with the fibers to create paper with different colors and even fragrances, and the user can set the thickness specifications as required.

PAPERLAB RECYCLES PAPER AT THE OFFICE

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

16

COUNTRY PROFILE

Industry

Engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum.

Transportation

Transport in Belgium is facilitated with well-developed road, rail, air and water networks.

Road: There are 118,414 km of roads, among which there are 1,747 km of motorways, 13,892 km of main roads and 102,775 km of other paved roads.

Rail: The rail network has 2,950 km of electrified tracks. There is also a well-developed urban rail network in Brussels, Antwerp and Charleroi.

Seaports: The ports of Antwerp and Bruges-Zeebrugge are two of the biggest seaports in Europe.

Area

30,528 sq. km.

GDP (nominal)

$527.8 billion (2014 estimate)

GDP per capita (nominal)

$50,510 billion (2014 estimate)

Population

11.190 million

Agriculture

0.8%

Industry

21.1%

Services

78.1% (2014 estimate.)

Contribution to GDP

Agriculture

Sugar beets, potatoes, wheat, maize,

barley, fruits, tomatoes, and flax are major agricultural crops. Livestock and

dairy farming are major agricultural

industries.

A common Belgian train

BELGIUM

Belgium, a country in northwestern Europe, is bounded on the north by The Netherlands and the North Sea, on the east by Germany and Luxembourg, and on the south and southwest by France. The capital and largest city is Brussels. Belgium's

strongly globalized economy and its transport infrastructure are integrated with the rest of Europe. Its location at the heart of a highly industrialized region helped make it the world's 15th largest trading nation in 2007. The economy is characterized by a highly productive work force, high GNP and high exports per capita. Although the service economy is growing rapidly in Belgium, the country remains heavily industrialized, importing great quantities of raw materials which are processed mainly for export. Such industry gives Belgium one of the highest gross domestic products (GDP) in the world, despite its relatively small population. With about three-quarters of exports going to other European Union (EU) countries, Belgium's economy is dependent upon its neighbors.

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Airports: There are a total of 43 airports in Belgium of which Brussels Airport is the biggest.

FOREIGN TRADE

Exports: $326 billion (2014)

Export commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, finished diamonds, metals and metal products, and foodstuffs.

Major export destinations: Germany, France, Netherlands, UK, USA, Italy

Imports: $330.8 billion (2014)

Import commodities: raw materials, machinery and equipment, chemicals, raw diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, and oil products

Major import sources: Netherlands, Germany, France, USA, UK

Exported to BelgiumBangladesh's exports to Belgium have shown a rising trend in recent years. Exports amounted to $975.13 million in 2014-15 compared to $970.54 million in 2013-14 and $730.81 million in 2012-13, showing a rise of 0.47% in 2014-15 and 32.80% in 2013-14. Belgium accounted for 3.12% of Bangladesh total exports in 2014-15. (Million US$)

Major export items 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13Knitwear 427.13 440.63 317.19Woven garments 345.09 335.29 248.61Shrimps and prawns 108.32 103.77 73.93Tobacco 22.32 14.53 15.19Home textile 18.56 17.46 19.00Leather products 18.30 11.61 5.91Jute & jute goods 15.10 14.12 19.08Footwear 6.94 9.19 6.38Bicycles 6.10 8.00 7.34Others 7.27 15.94 18.18Total 975.13 970.54 730.81

Source: Export Promotion Bureau

Imported from Belgium

Bangladesh's imports from Belgium have shown a rising trend in recent years. Imports amounted to $152.20 million in 2014-15 compared to $141.30 million in 2013-14 and $88.10 million in 2012-13, showing a rise of 7.71% in 2014-15 and 60.39% in 2013-14. Belgium shared for 0.37% of Bangladesh total imports in 2014-15. (Million US$)

Major import items 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13Iron and steel 34.20 33.70 27.24Ships, boats and floating structures 25.10 19.80 5.57

Machinery and mechanical appliances 20.90 43.60 13.97Residues and waste 12.70 3.50 2.77Organic chemicals 10.90 10.10 7.57Plastic and articles thereof 7.60 4.90 3.87Pharmaceutical products 4.50 4.50 5.27Dairy produce 5.90 0.70 5.41Others 30.40 20.50 16.43Total 152.20 141.30 88.10

Source: Bangladesh Bank

IMPORT TARIFF IN THE BELGIUM MARKET (2014)

Belgium import tariff structure has evolved over the year in pursuant with its national demand. Average Most Favored Nation (MFN) applied rates varies from as low as 0.0 percent (for cotton) to as high as 42.1 percent (for dairy products).

Product groupsMFN Applied Duties Imports

AVG Duty-free in %

Share in %

Duty-free in %

Animal productsDairy productsFruit, vegetables, plantsCoffee, teaCereals & preparations

17.742.110.96.114.9

28.40.019.627.113.0

0.30.01.60.90.6

6.10.014.271.536.6

Oilseeds, fats & oilsSugars and confectioneryBeverages & tobaccoCottonOther agricultural products

6.825.220.70.03.6

48.111.819.2100.065.5

1.70.20.60.00.5

75.910.917.5100.067.3

Fish & fish productsMinerals & metalsPetroleumChemicals

12.02.02.54.5

8.250.233.722.5

1.315.525.19.9

5.871.694.847.0

Wood, paper, etc.TextilesClothingLeather, footwear, etc.

0.96.511.44.1

81.12.10.326.3

2.32.24.32.5

85.72.20.416.8

Non-electrical machineryElectrical machineryTransport equipmentManufactures, n.e.s.

1.92.84.32.6

21.320.812.820.9

10.210.44.05.8

53.456.012.650.6

Source: WTO

BANGLADESH-BELGIUM TRADETwo-way trade between the countries has shown a rising trend in recent years. Total trade amounted to $1127.33 million in 2014-15 compared to $1111.84 million in 2013-14 and $818.91 million in 2012-13, showing a rise of 1.39% in 2014-15 and 35.77% in 2013-14.

Brussels Airport is the main airport in Belgium

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OLAF SCOOTER-SUITCASE

Lugging around baggage is often a pain, but what if you could turn those bags into a fun way to get around town? Meet Olaf, a multifunctional backpack that can transform into a trolley, kick scooter, and even a skateboard. Designed with the modern urban commuter in mind the hybrid scooter-suitcase makes it easy to zip around town and is sturdy enough to support up to 264 pounds of weight. Olaf is available in two models: the smaller Olaf Urban backpack and larger Olaf Business. Both models include the company’s patented folding mechanism, which allows the suitcase or backpack to transform from trolley mode to kick scooter hands-free, using a foot instead.

MOTORCYCLE HELMET ELIMINATES THE CHIN STRAP

Motorcycle helmets have been around for almost a century, yet their design has never really deviated from the pull on-pull off type with a chinstrap to secure in place. Australian company Vozz Helmets is changing that with a revolutionary design that renders straps obsolete – and has a few more tricks up its sleeve as well. The RS. 1.0 helmet is hinged in a way that enables it to split vertically and open so the user’s head can slip inside. This design helps to reduce snag points that could cause the helmet to come off accidentally, while also allowing for a more comfortable fit, with less noise and better insulation. And in the event of an accident, emergency responders can remove the helmet quickly, without applying pressure to the rider’s head.

this FLUXO smart lamp will be done on your smartphone. There will be a FLUXO companion app, and it will allow users to control the lamp. All users have to do is pick a direction on the app, and the light will follow. As far as color goes, there is a paint feature and users can have the light emanate any color they want. You can then make the color brighter by adding more paint to it on the app. The best part about this is it is all done in real-time. This makes it so users can see how much the color changes.

BONX WEARABLE WALKIE-TALKIE

Aimed at outdoor enthusiasts, the BONX wearable walkie-talkie lets friends communicate and coordinate with each other playing outside. Offered by the startup of the same name, the BONX earpiece is designed to fit comfortably and securely in the ear, regardless of the level of activity. Once in place, the device pairs with a smartphone via Bluetooth, enabling it to use the cellular network to transmit messages, regardless of the range. The system also features a patented voice communication system that allows the connection to remain even in low-coverage areas, and can support group communication.

VIBRATING MATTRESS REDUCES INFANT SLEEP APNEA

A new mattress that vibrates gently to help stabilize the breathing of at-risk newborns has proven to reduce infant apnea by half. The mattress is based on the ‘stochastic resonance’ technology, which applies a small amount of vibratory noise to a complex biological system to increases the system’s sensitivity. The developing teams showed that adding this “noise” as gentle vibrations in a mattress helped to stabilize the infant’s breathing while also improving blood oxygenation, without disturbing the baby. In tests on at-risk, preterm infants that had already demonstrated one apnea event, the vibrating mattress reduced the incidence of apnea by 50 percent.

FLUXO SMART LAMP

A new lamp is going to allow users to move around light, and even change the color of the light, in a room. Controlling

NEW PRODUCTS

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Unilever Bangladesh Limited (UBL) is the leading Fast Moving Consumer Goods Company in Bangladesh

with a heritage of 50 years and products that are present in 98% of Bangladeshi households.

UBL started its journey in Bangladesh with the production of soaps in its factory in Kalurghat, Chittagong. Over the years the company introduced many affordable brands which won the hearts of consumers across the country. Today, UBL brands are present in almost every household in the country.

UBL is the market leader in 7 of the 8 categories in which it operates, with 20 brands spanning across Home Care, Personal Care and Foods.

Its operations provide employment to over 10,000 people directly and indirectly through its dedicated suppliers, distributors and service providers. 99.8% of UBL employees are locals with a large number of local UBL employees now working abroad in other Unilever companies as expatriates.

organization "Friendship”, the hospital is situated on a boat with a dedicated medical team and reaches out to people who do not have access to proper medical facilities.

• Pureit - launched in 2010, Pureit is a water purifier which aims to provide safe drinking water to 2.5 million people by 2015.

• Pollydut - through this project unemployed youth in villages have been incorporated into the UBL distribution network to provide them with a sustainable livelihood.

• Project Laser Beam (PLB) – PLB, a multi-million dollar, multi-stakeholder project between Unilever Foundation and WFP, was conducted in Shatkhira, Bangladesh from 2010 to 2014. The project worked across four pillars – Nutrition, Water, Health and Hygiene, and Livelihood, to develop a holistic model to eradicate malnutrition.

• Tackling Malnutirition – 2 projects with Save the Children addressing child malnutrition have programs running in 4 divisions of the country. These projects are aimed at aiding the Government improve their malnutrition treatment infrastructure and provide direct interventions for effected individuals in terms of nutrition education and livelihood.

Unilever is also a partner to the new Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals set out by the United Nations in 2015. Unilever is working with Project Everyone and Global Citizen to raise awareness and inspire action around the Global Goals. In the longer run, Unilever wants to change the very way business is done, working in partnership with Governments, NGOs, communities and other companies to develop the solutions and new business models which will drive progress for all.

Doing Well by Doing Good

Unilever believes in ambitious growth of the business while fostering a sustainable environment. We believe the two must be related and hence sustainability is placed at the heart of everything we do. Our philosophy of ‘Doing Well by Doing Good’ is captured in the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP).

Some of th e initiatives under the USLP in Bangladesh are:

• Lifebuoy Lifesaver Program – a Lifebuoy initiative, this is the biggest sustainability program of UBL aimed at reducing child mortality through hand washing with soap. Till date the program has reached more than 30 million people across the country

• Oral Health & Hygiene Awareness Programme – led by Pepsodent, this school-based activation program aims to reach 7 million people with its dental checkups and oral hygiene awareness.

• Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital - launched in March 2002 in association with the humanitarian

Mr. Kamran BakrChairman and Managing Director

Unilever Bangladesh Limited

Unilever Bangladesh LimitedUBL is the market leader in 7 of the 8 categories in which it operates, with 20 brands spanning across Home Care, Personal Care and Foods.

MEMBER PROFILE

20

IDLC wins first position under "Financial Services Sector" in the 15th ICAB National Award

Southeast Bank launches complete range of credit cards

IDLC secured "First position" under "Financial Services Sector" in the 15th ICAB National Award for "Best Presented Annual Reports 2014", organized by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB). The awardees are evaluated on the basis of the evaluation criteria set by South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) Committee for Improvement in Transparency, Accountability & Governance. The program was attended by a large number of professionals from corporate segments, dignitaries from Government and regulators and got huge media coverage. Mr. H. M. Ziaul Hoque Khan, CEO and Managing Director (Current Charge) received the awards on behalf of IDLC from Mr. Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, MP, Minister for Finance, the chief guest of the program, and from Mr. Tofail Ahmed, MP, Minister for Commerce,

Southeast Bank Limited in partnership with MasterCard Bangladesh recently launched the complete range of credit cards (World, Platinum, Titanium & Gold) and prepaid card at an event organized in the capital. Among others, Mr. Alamgir Kabir FCA, chairman and Mr. Shahid Hossain, managing director of Southeast Bank, Mr. Syed Mohammed Kamal, country manager, and Mr. Gitanka D. Datta, vice president of MasterCard Bangladesh were present at the launch event. MasterCard has a network of 900+ partner outlets offering a variety of privileges and discounts in the Bangladesh market. The new collaboration will bring consumer promotion offers like BOGO (Buy-1-Get-1) at leading hotels and resorts in Cox’s Bazar and Sylhet and Southeast-MasterCard card holders will get a complimentary night at the properties. The Southeast Bank MasterCard card holders will also be able to avail select

the special guest of the program, at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC), Dhaka.

privileges like free membership to priority pass program offering access to 850+ Airport Lounges worldwide, annual fee waiver on over 25 transactions in a year, card cheque and free supplementary cards among others. With a MasterCard World card, cardholders can obtain privileges from over 1300+ Global Offers covering travel, dining and golf etc.

MEMBERS NEWS

21

AB Bank Limited signs agreement with MetLifeAB Bank Limited recently signed an agreement with MetLife to provide life insurance coverage for Shampurna Women’s Savings account holders. Under this arrangement, MetLife Bangladesh will assure the account holders with life and health insurance protection. Mr. Sajjad Hussain, Deputy Managing Director of AB Bank Limited, and Mr. Syed Hammadul Karim, DGM, MetLife Bangladesh signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations. Mr. Shamim Ahmed Chaudhury, president and managing director, AB Bank and

M. Nurul Islam, regional senior vice president and head of Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar, MetLife were present in the signing ceremony.

Green Delta Insurance awarded 1st Prize in the 15th ICAB National Award in the Insurance Category

Green Delta Insurance Company Limited, the first AAA rated insurance company of Bangladesh, recently won the prestigious ICAB National Award for Best Presented Annual Report in Insurance Category. This year Green Delta won the first prize for the 2nd consecutive year. Mr. Nazim Tazik Chowdhury, Additional Managing Director and CFO of Green Delta Insurance Company Limited along with Mr. T H Forhad, Deputy Managing Director received the award on behalf of the company from Mr. A M A Muhith, MP, the Minister for Finance.

Mr. Md. Mehmood Husain, President and Managing Director of Bank Asia Limited is seen receiving Sustainability Reporting Award (SRA) 2015, Runner Up 1 (Overseas) Trophy from Mr. Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, former Minister of the Environment of the Republic of Indonesia on December 15, 2015 at Hotel Mulia, Jakarta, Indonesia. Mr. Imran Ahmed FCA, CFO of the bank also attended the ceremony organized by National Center for Sustainability Reporting, Jakarta, a registered organization of GRI, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Bank Asia

Bank Asia wins Sustainability Reporting Award (SRA) 2015

Limited received the award for its Sustainability Report 2014 prepared following GRI G4 guidelines on social, environmental and economic aspects.

22

CHAMBER EVENTS

Mr. Nojibur Rahman, the Chairman of National Board of Revenue (NBR) along with all members and senior officials of NBR visited the Chamber on 6 December 2015 and interacted with Chamber members on income tax, VAT, custom duty and other NBR tax related issues.

A partial view of the participants at the meeting on 6 December, 2015

23

Mr. Syed Nasim Manzur, President of the Chamber is seen addressing the 111th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Chamber held on 22 December 2015 which, among others, confirmed the re-election of Mr. Syed Nasim Manzur, Managing Director of Apex Footwear Limited as the President and election of Mr. Akhter Matin Chaudhury, FCA, Chairman and Managing Director, Nuvista Pharma Ltd as the new Vice-President of the Chamber for 2016.

A partial view of the participants at the 111th Annual General Meeting (AGM)

24

The country’s foreign trade amounted to US$23325.05 million during July-October 2015. Of the total amount, exports were $10130.49 million while imports (LC Settlement) were $13194.56 million, showing a trade deficit of $3064.07 million (See Table-1).

Table --- 1: Balance of Trade Foreign tradeJuly-October

2013July-October

2014July-October

2015(In million US$)

Trade balance -1901.49 -3288.59 -3064.07

Total exports1 9747.17 9652.65 10130.49

Total imports* 11648.66 12941.24 13194.56

(Annual change in million US$)

Trade balance 445.67 -1387.10 224.52

Total exports 1378.69 -94.52 477.84

Total imports 933.02 1292.58 253.32

(Annual percentage change)

Trade balance 18.99 -72.95 6.83

Total exports 16.47 -0.97 4.95

Total imports 8.71 11.10 1.96Note: * = LC Settlement, 1= Exports (EPB)

Export earningsDuring July-October 2015, total export earnings (EPB) amounted to US$10130.49 million compared to $9652.65 earned during July-October 2014, showing an increase of $477.84 million or 4.95 percent. However, against the target set for the period, export earnings fell by $392.51 million or 3.73 percent from $10523.00 million. Compared to the same period of previous fiscal year, export earnings from woven garments rose by $373.70 million or 10.12 percent, that from knitwear by $112.00 million or 2.76 percent, from petroleum

bi-products by $100.70 million or 456.90 percent, from engineering equipments by $55.44 million or 337.43 percent and from raw jute by $37.08 million or 116.23 percent. The exports earning also increased from man-made filaments & staple fibers by $4.71 million or 15.89 percent, terry towel by $2.96 million or 21.89 percent, pharmaceuticals products by $2.65 million or 11.02 percent and footwear by $0.61 million or 0.27 percent (See Table-2).

Table-2: Export earnings of the following major commodities increased during July-October 2015

CommoditiesExport earnings1 (In Mn. US$) Annual absolute change

(In Mn.US$)Annual percentage

Change (%)Share in total export

(%)

July-Oct.2013

July-Oct.2014

July-Oct.2015

July-Oct.2014

July-Oct.2015

July-Oct.2014

July-Oct.2015

July-Oct.2014

July-Oct.2015

Knitwear 4022.21 4058.42 4170.42 36.21 112.00 0.90 2.76 42.04 41.17

Woven garments 3864.18 3694.24 4067.94 -169.94 373.70 -4.40 10.12 38.27 40.16

Footwear 193.24 227.87 228.48 34.63 0.61 17.92 0.27 2.36 2.26

Petroleum by products 49.03 22.04 122.74 -26.99 100.70 -55.05 456.90 0.23 1.21

Engineering equipments

33.23 16.43 71.87 -16.80 55.44 -50.56 337.43 0.17 0.71

Raw Jute 36.40 31.93 69.01 -4.47 37.08 -12.28 116.13 0.33 0.68

Man made filaments & staple fibers 30.04 29.65 34.36 -0.39 4.71 -1.30 15.89 0.31 0.34

Pharmaceuticals 25.70 24.05 26.70 -1.65 2.65 -6.42 11.02 0.25 0.26

Terry towel 25.89 13.52 16.48 -12.37 2.96 -47.78 21.89 0.14 0.16

Note: 1= Export Earnings (EPB), Source: Export Promotion Bureau

REVIEW

25

Commodities

Export earnings1 (In Mn. US$)Annual absolute change

(In Mn.US$)Annual percentage

Change (%)Share in total export

(%)

July-Oct.2013

July-Oct.2014

July-Oct.2015

July-Oct.2014

July-Oct.2015

July-Oct.2014

July-Oct.2015

July-Oct.2014

July-Oct.2015

Home textiles 238.41 235.69 220.08 -2.72 -15.61 -1.14 -6.62 2.44 2.17

Jute goods 230.67 228.77 215.45 -1.90 -13.32 -0.82 -5.82 2.37 2.13

Leather & Leather products

220.72 214.16 199.18 -6.56 -14.98 -2.97 -6.99 2.22 1.97

Frozen food 264.69 243.72 178.83 -20.97 -64.89 -7.92 -26.62 2.52 1.77

Cotton yarn & waste

38.59 37.44 31.48 -1.15 -5.96 -2.98 -15.92 0.39 0.31

Bicycle 31.78 42.90 29.73 11.12 -13.17 34.99 -30.70 0.44 0.29

Tobacco 26.36 34.30 28.51 7.94 -5.79 30.12 -16.88 0.36 0.28

Plastic Products 26.24 36.41 27.93 10.17 -8.48 38.76 -23.29 0.38 0.28

Electric products 18.85 43.63 20.67 24.78 -22.96 131.46 -52.62 0.45 0.20

Vegetables 50.58 39.94 14.40 -10.64 -25.54 -21.04 -63.95 0.41 0.14

Ceramic products 15.42 15.58 13.05 0.16 -2.53 1.04 -16.24 0.16 0.13

Fruits 7.69 26.49 13.02 18.80 -13.47 244.47 -50.85 0.27 0.13

Cut flower 16.96 4.24 2.33 -12.72 -1.91 -75.00 -45.05 0.04 0.02

Note: 1= Export Earnings (EPB), Source: Export Promotion Bureau

Table-3: Export earnings of the following major commodities declined during July-October 2015

Import paymentsDuring July-October 2015, total import payments (LC settlement) rose by US$253.32 million or 1.96 percent to $13194.56 million compared to $12941.24 million during July-October 2014. The industrial raw materials topped the list in the review period with import amounting to $4923.35 million, sharing 37.31 percent of total import, followed by machinery for miscellaneous industries $1546.44 million (11.72 percent), consumer goods $1499.41 million (11.36 percent), capital machinery $1145.76 million (8.68 percent), intermediate goods $1013.75 million (7.68 percent) and petroleum & petroleum products $854.41 million (6.48 percent) (See table 4).

During the period under review, imports of machinery for miscellaneous industries increased by 15.50 percent and capital machinery by 24.92 percent. However, imports of industrial raw materials declined by 0.61 percent, consumer goods by 2.91 percent, intermediate goods by 0.53 percent and petroleum & petroleum products by 45.08 percent (See Table 4).

However, earnings from frozen food declined by $64.89 million or 26.62 percent, that from vegetables by $25.54 million or 63.95 percent, from electric products by $22.96 million or 52.62 percent, from home textiles by $15.61 million or 6.62 percent, from leather & leather products by $14.98 million or 6.99 percent, from fruits by $13.47 million or 50.85 percent and from jute goods by $13.32 million or 5.82 percent. The export earnings also declined bicycle by $13.17 million or 30.70 percent, plastic products by $8.48 million or 23.29 percent, cotton yarn & waste by $5.96 million or 15.92 percent, tobacco by $5.79 million or 16.88 percent, ceramic products by $2.53 million or 16.24 percent and cut flower by $1.91 million or 45.05 percent (See Table-3).

The share of knitwear and woven garments in total exports was 81.33 percent during July-October 2015 compared to 80.31 percent during July-October 2014 (See table 2).

26

Commodities

Import payments*(In Mn. US$)

Annual absolute change (In Mn.US$)

Annual percentage Change (%)

Share in total import (%)

July-Oct.2013

July-Oct.2014

July-Oct.2015

July-Oct.2014

July-Oct.2015

July-Oct.2014

July-Oct.2015

July-Oct.2014

July-Oct.2015

Industrial raw materials

4756.79 4953.41 4923.35 196.62 -30.06 4.13 -0.61 38.28 37.31

Machinery for miscellaneous industries

1163.13 1338.96 1546.44 175.83 207.48 15.12 15.50 10.35 11.72

Consumer goods 1527.98 1544.40 1499.41 16.42 -44.99 1.07 -2.91 11.93 11.36

Capital machinery 715.43 917.20 1145.76 201.77 228.56 28.20 24.92 7.09 8.68

Intermediate goods 1031.47 1019.18 1013.75 -12.29 -5.43 -1.19 -0.53 7.88 7.68

Petroleum & petroleum products

1152.06 1555.78 854.41 403.72 -701.37 35.04 -45.08 12.02 6.48

Others 1301.81 1612.32 2211.44 310.51 599.12 23.85 37.16 12.46 16.76

Total 11648.66 12941.24 13194.56 1292.58 253.32 11.10 1.96 100.00 100.00

Note: * = LC Settlement, Source: Bangladesh Bank

Table-4: Import Payments of major commodities during July-October 2015

Stock market The broad index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) rose by 0.53% to 4604.92 on 30 December 2015 from 4580.76 at the end of November 2015. The market capitalization fell by 0.39% during the month to Tk 3144.60 billion from Tk 3156.89 billion at the end of November 2015. On 30 December 2015, total turnover in the DSE was 89.85 million in volume and Tk 3673.17 million in value.

The all share index of the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) rose by 0.37% to 14031.49 on 30 December 2015 from 13979.70 at the end of November 2015. The market capitalization fell by 0.63% to Tk 2480.12 billion from Tk 2495.76 billion at the end of November 2015. Total turnover was 6.59 million in volume and Tk 205.87 million in value in the CSE on 30 December 2015.

Exchange rate movements

Taka depreciated against US$ by 0.77 percent to Tk. 78.52 on 30 December 2015 from its level of Tk. 77.92 at the end of December 2014. Meanwhile, Taka also depreciated by 1.18 percent to Tk. 78.77 on averages in December 2015 from its average level of Tk. 77.85 in December 2014. Source: Bangladesh Bank

27

Major economic indicators-Bangladesh

Note: P= Provisional, Figures in brackets indicate percentage changes over the year, @=DSE Broad Index, *= Base 1995-96Source: Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Export Promotion Bureau

PeriodIndicators

30 Dec., 2015 30 Nov., 2015 29 Oct., 2015 30 Sep., 2015 30 Dec., 2014 FY 2014-15 P FY 2013-14

Foreign exchange reserve (in million US$) 27448.88 (23.0) 26407.63 (22.3) 27058.39 (20.6) 26379.04 (20.8) 22309.80 (23.4) 25020.45(16.1) 21558.03(40.8)

Dec,15 Nov,15 Oct,15 Sep,15 Dec,14 FY 2014-15 P FY 2013-14

Exchange rate (Tk./US$) (average) 78.77 78.52 77.98 77.80 77.85 77.67 77.72

Nov, 2015P Jul-Nov, 2015P Nov, 2014 Jul-Nov, 2014 FY2014-15P FY2013-14Wage earners' remittances ( in million US$) 1142.48 (-3.4) 6174.58 (-0.60) 1182.95(11.5) 6212.09 (11.7) 15316.90 (7.7) 14228.31 (-1.6)Overseas employment (no. of persons) 63440(47.8) 246507 (41.4) 42927(45.9) 174341 (6.8) 461829 (12.9) 408870 (-7.3)

Oct, 2015P Jul-Oct, 2015P Oct, 2014 Jul-Oct, 2014 FY2014-15P FY2013-14

Imports (C&F) (in million US$) 2995.10 (27.1) 13164.00 (-2.3) 2356.50(-22.9) 13473.50 (4.9) 45190.20 (11.3) 40616.40(19.2)

Imports(f.o.b) (in million US$) 2697.00 (27.1) 11852.00 (-2.3) 2122.00(-22.9) 12131.00 (4.9) 40685.00 (11.3) 36571.00 (8.9)

Nov, 2015P Jul-Nov, 2015P Nov, 2014 Jul-Nov, 2014 FY2014-15P FY2013-14

Exports (EPB) (in million US$) 2749.34 (13.7) 12879.83 (6.7) 2417.43(9.3) 12070.08 (0.9) 31198.45 (3.4) 30186.62(11.7)

Oct, 2015P Jul-Oct, 2015P Oct, 2014 Jul-Oct, 2014 FY2013-14 FY2012-13

Tax revenue (NBR) (Tk. in billion) 112.29 (14.8) 423.45 (11.4) 97.85 (9.9) 380.05 (13.3) 1208.20 (6.7 ) 1091.52(14.8 )

Investment in national savings certificates (Tk. in billion) Oct, 2015P Jul-Oct, 2015P Oct, 2014 Jul-Oct, 2014 FY2014-15P FY2013-14

A) Net sale B) Total outstanding

23.531141.64

90.341141.64

22.37854.75

90.78854.75

287.331051.30

117.07 763.97

Oct, 2015P Jul-Oct, 2015P Oct, 2014 Jul-Oct, 2014 FY2014-15P FY2013-14

Net foreign aid (in million US$) 112.10 (29.6) 427.64 (14.5) 86.49(61.6) 373.48 (56.8) 2197.32 (20.1) 1830.12 (-5.2)

Jul.-Oct, 2015P Jul.-Oct., 2014 FY2014-15P FY2013-14 FY2012-13

Current account balance (in million US$) 936.0 135.0 -1650.0 1402.0 2388.0

Rate of inflation on the basis of consumerPrice index for national (base:2005-06=100)

Nov., 2015

Oct., 2015

Sep., 2015

Aug., 2015

Jul., 2015

Nov., 2014

FY2014-15P FY2013-14

A) Twelve month average basisB) Point to point basis

6.206.05

6.216.19

6.246.24

6.296.17

6.356.36

7.106.21

6.416.25

7.356.97

Reserve money and credit developments (Tk. in billion)

Oct, 2015P Sep, 2015P Oct, 2014 FY2014-15P FY2013-14 FY2012-13

A) Reserve money (RM) 1639.99 (17.1) 1626.56 (13.2) 1400.64 (15.4) 186.07(14.3) 173.86(15.5) 146.87 (15.0)

B) Broad money (M2) 8202.57(13.8) 8214.73(13.3) 7209.65(12.6) 869.90(12.4) 970.18(16.1) 863.96(16.7)Total domestic credit A) Net credit to the govt. SectorB)Credit to the other public sectorC) Credit to the private sector

7234.53(10.1)1126.30(-4.3)161.46(11.6)

5946.77(13.2)

7236.42(9.4)1181.73(-2.5)157.84(8.3)

5896.86(12.9)

6573.39(10.7)1136.37(2.7)144.69(33.2)5252.33(12.1)

636.20(9.9)-72.72(-6.2)39.33(30.9)

669.59 (13.2)

661.69(11.6)74.05(6.7)32.82(34.7)

554.83 (12.3)

567.65(11.0)183.96(20.1)-58.86(-38.4)442.55(10.9)

Interest rate development Sep., 15 Aug., 15 Jul., 15 Jun., 15 May, 15 Sep,14 FY2013-14 FY2012-13

Lending rate (weighted average)Deposit rate (weighted average)

11.486.66

11.516.74

11.576.78

11.676.80

11.826.99

12.587.48

13.107.79

13.678.54

Agricultural credit (Tk. in billion) Nov, 2015P Jul-Nov, 2015P Nov, 2014 Jul-Nov, 2014 FY2014-15P FY2013-14

a) Disbursements b) Recovery

15.33(9.0)16.14(19.6)

61.65(16.6)61.11(4.5)

14.0613.50

52.8858.50

159.78(-0.4)154.07(-9.6)

160.37(9.3)170.46(18.7)

Industrial term loan (Tk. in billion) Jul.-Sep 2015-16P Apr.-Jun. 2014-15P Jul.-Sep., 2014-15 FY2014-15P FY2013-14

A) Disbursements b) Recovery

127.00(-0.9)110.72(-5.5)

149.80 (30.7)133.83 (31.5)

128.09117.14

597.83 (41.3)475.41 (13.8)

423.11 (-0.5)418.07 (14.4)

ADP (Tk. in billion) FY 2015-16 FY 2014-15 FY 2013-14 FY 2012-13 FY 2011-12Allocation (except self-financed ) 970.00 750.00 600.00 550.00 460.00

Jul.-Nov. 2015 Jul.-Nov., 2014 Jul.-Nov., 2013 Jul.-Nov., 2012 Jul.-Nov., 2011

Expenditure (% of ADP allocation) 170.12 (17%) 168.43 (20%) 138.82 (19%) 135.74 (25%) 93.14 (20%)

Overall share price index (month end) 30 Dec., 2015@ 25 Nov., 2015@ 28 Oct., 2015@ 30 Dec., 2014 30 June, 2015@ 30 June, 2014@

Dhaka stock exchange Chittagong stock exchange

4604.9214031.49

4804.4514802.90

4579.3713994.45

4864.9614954.42

4531.9813916.75

4480.5213766.22

Investment (in million US$) Oct, 2015P Jul-Oct, 2015P Oct, 2014 Jul-Oct, 2014 FY2014-15P FY2013-14

Foreign direct investment (FDI) 101.00 550.00 140.00 471.00 1700.00 1432.00

Investment (in million US$)Jun.,

2015 P May,

2015 P Apr.,

2015 P Jun., 2014 FY 2014-15P FY 2013-14 FY 2012-13

Board of investment (registered) 910.11 1156.50 2089.63 778.44 12715.62 (44.9) 8775.51 (5.32) 8332 (-25.26)

Industrial production indices (base:2005-06=100)

Sep.,2015 P

Aug.,2015 P

Jul,2015 P

Jun.,2015 P

Sep.,2014

FY 2012-13 FY 2011-12

ManufacturingMining (includes gas production)Electricity

238.70176.78227.58

258.35191.56240.03

253.67178.13203.68

285.50178.40207.48

230.07159.82202.09

195.19153.15160.43

174.92142.36146.72

Base: 2005-06=100 2014-15 P 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09*

GDP growth rate (in percent) 6.51 6.06 6.01 6.52 6.46 5.57 5.74

STATISTICS

28

Products

Export Performance

for 2014-15

(July-June)

ProposedExport

Target for 2015-16

Strategic Target for July-Nov. 2015-16

Export Performance for July-Nov.

2015-16

% Change of Export

PerformanceOver

s. Export Target

Export Performance for July-Nov.

2014-15

% Change of Export

performanceJuly-Nov. 2015-16

OverJuly-Nov. 2014-15

All products (A+B+C) 31208.94 33500.00 12879.00 12879.83 0.01 12070.08 6.71

A. Primary Commodities 1154.08 1173.00 450.96 445.22 -1.27 583.27 -23.67

(1) Frozen Food & Live Fish 568.03 578.00 222.21 229.45 3.26 300.76 -23.71a) Live Fish 2.81 3.00 1.15 1.38 20.00 1.65 -16.36

b) Frozen Fish 49.08 50.00 19.22 18.41 -4.21 15.90 15.79

c) Shrimps 509.72 515.00 197.99 206.35 4.22 276.00 -25.24

d) Others 6.42 10.00 3.84 3.31 -13.80 7.21 -54.09

(2) Agricultural Products 586.05 595.00 228.75 215.77 -5.67 282.51 -23.62

a) Tea 2.63 2.00 0.77 0.80 3.90 1.50 -46.67

b) Vegetables 103.24 90.00 34.60 19.05 -44.94 49.03 -61.15

c) Tobacco 68.45 75.00 28.83 34.95 21.23 45.83 -23.74

d) Cut Flower & Foliage 11.36 11.00 4.23 2.34 -44.68 4.69 -50.11

e) Fruits 38.48 37.00 14.22 15.48 8.86 26.50 -41.58

f) Spices 23.24 20.00 7.69 11.57 50.46 10.03 15.35

g) Dry Food 94.25 100.00 38.44 33.39 -13.14 33.87 -1.42

h) Others 244.4 260.00 99.96 98.19 -1.77 111.06 -11.59

B. Manufactured Commodities 29922.32 32182.00 12372.30 12385.13 0.10 11439.30 8.27

(1) Cement, Salt, Stone Etc 4.48 4.81 1.85 0.93 -49.73 2.19 -57.53

(2) Ores, Slag and Ash 8.55 8.25 3.17 2.94 -7.26 3.75 -21.60

(3) Petroleum bi Products 77.55 75.07 28.86 125.73 335.65 24.45 414.23

(4) Chemical Products 111.92 126.90 48.79 49.40 1.25 44.41 11.24

a) Pharmaceuticals 72.64 80.00 30.76 34.53 12.26 30.51 13.18

b) Cosmetics 1.5 1.84 0.71 0.45 -36.62 0.89 -49.44

c) Others 37.73 45.00 17.30 14.37 -16.94 13.01 10.45

(5) Plastic Products 100.57 118.00 45.36 37.15 -18.10 46.19 -19.57

a) PVC Bags 36.63 38.00 14.61 13.62 -6.78 15.59 -12.64

b) Plastic Waste 32.35 35.00 13.46 10.60 -21.25 17.88 -40.72

c) Others 31.59 45.00 17.30 12.93 -25.26 12.72 1.65

(6) Rubber 20.18 21.50 8.27 8.99 8.71 6.78 32.60

(7) Leather & Leather Products 1130.51 1212.81 466.26 457.83 -1.81 463.12 -1.14

(a) Leather 397.54 400.00 153.78 109.85 -28.57 173.49 -36.68

(b) Leather Products 249.16 262.81 101.04 145.71 44.21 87.82 65.92

(c) Leather Footwear (6403) 483.81 550.00 211.45 202.27 -4.34 201.81 0.23

(8) Wood & Wood Products 3.54 3.61 1.39 1.74 25.18 1.15 51.30

(9) Handicrafts 8.72 10.21 3.93 3.62 -7.89 3.48 4.02

(10) Pulp 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.03 - - -

(11) Paper & Paper Products 37.3 38.38 14.76 16.94 14.77 15.26 11.01

(12) Printed Materials 0.85 0.85 0.33 0.47 42.42 0.35 34.29

(13) Silk 0.04 0.05 0.02 -100.00 0.03 -100.00

(14) Wool & Woolen Products 1.08 1.50 0.58 0.02 -96.55 0.20 -90.00

(Million US $)

Export performance of Bangladesh

29

CHAMBER NEWS | ISSUE- 01 | JANUARY 2016

Products

Export Performance

for 2014-15

(July-June)

ProposedExport

Target for 2015-16

Strategic Target for July-Nov. 2015-16

Export Performance for July-Nov.

2015-16

% Change of Export

PerformanceOver

s. Export Target

Export Performance for July-Nov.

2014-15

% Change of Export

performanceJuly-Nov. 2015-16

OverJuly-Nov. 2014-15

(15) Cotton & Cotton Product (Yarn, Waste, Fabrics etc)

107.04 110.29 42.40 40.58 -4.29 45.70 -11.20

(16) Jute & Jute goods 868.53 947.00 364.07 358.60 -1.50 348.64 2.86

a) Raw Jute 111.57 112.00 43.06 73.61 70.95 43.21 70.35

b) Jute Yarn & Twine 552.32 590.00 226.82 206.18 -9.10 211.90 -2.70

c) Jute Sacks & Bags 139.45 170.00 65.36 50.32 -23.01 68.44 -26.48

d) Others 65.19 75.00 28.83 28.49 -1.18 25.09 13.55(17) Man Made Filaments & Staple Fibres

97.43 98.56 37.89 43.48 14.75 37.23 16.79

(18) Carpet 18.9 22.00 8.46 8.09 -4.37 7.76 4.25

(19) Specialized Textiles 106.99 115.65 44.46 43.29 -2.63 38.35 12.88

a) Terry Towel 41.81 43.00 16.53 20.58 24.50 16.90 21.78

b) Special Woven Fabric 13.12 15.00 5.77 6.33 9.71 4.72 34.11c) Knitted Fabrics 46.51 52.00 19.99 13.56 -32.17 14.92 -9.12

d) Other 5.55 5.65 2.17 2.82 29.95 1.81 55.80

(20) Knitwear 12426.79 13266.21 5100.16 5236.73 2.68 4997.78 4.78

(21) Woven Garments 13064.61 14105.42 5422.80 5226.03 -3.63 4693.47 11.35(22) Home Textile Excluding 630510) 804.34 850.00 326.78 276.73 -15.32 298.61 -7.33

a) Bed, Kitchen toilet lines 523.65 550.00 211.45 196.55 -7.05 226.07 -13.06

b) Other 280.69 300.00 115.33 80.18 -30.48 72.54 10.53(23) Other Footwear(Excluding 6403)

189.46 208.00 79.97 92.73 15.96 72.97 27.08

(24) Headgear/Cap 64.46 72.53 27.88 39.44 41.46 23.61 67.05

(25) Umbrella Waking Sticks 0.11 0.10 0.04 0.03 -25.00 0.08 -62.50(26) Wigs & Human Hair 15.79 17.28 6.64 6.97 4.97 6.47 7.73

(27) Building Materials 0.13 0.18 0.07 -100.00 0.10 -100.00

(28) Ceramic Products 42.92 45.00 17.30 16.59 -4.10 18.90 -12.22

(29) Glass & Glass ware 2.08 2.25 0.87 0.80 -8.05 0.84 -4.76

(30) Engineering Products 447.04 520.58 200.14 234.34 17.09 180.61 29.75

a) Iron Steel 57.9 64.00 24.60 14.24 -42.11 21.54 -33.89

b) Copper Wire 27.88 27.67 10.64 10.05 -5.55 10.09 -0.40c) Stainless Steel ware 3.89 3.91 1.50 4.34 189.33 1.18 267.80

d) Engineering Equipment 83.03 100.00 38.44 120.61 213.76 22.27 441.58

e) Electric Products 90.11 120.00 46.13 27.27 -40.88 49.08 -44.44

f) Bicycle 126.06 132.00 50.75 34.31 -32.39 51.59 -33.49

g) Others 58.17 73.00 28.06 23.52 -16.18 24.86 -5.39(31) Ships, boats & floating structures 15.92 25.00 9.61 0.85 -91.16 3.42 -75.15(32) Other mfd Products 144.49 154.00 59.20 54.06 -8.68 53.40 1.24a) Optical, Photographic, Medical Instruments etc

60.49 62.50 24.03 24.02 -0.04 27.19 -11.66

b) Furniture 38.94 39.50 15.19 12.18 -19.82 10.80 12.78c) Golf Shaft 14.74 18.00 6.92 5.15 -25.58 6.47 -20.40

d) Others 30.32 34.00 13.07 12.71 -2.75 8.94 42.17

C. Computer Services 132.54 145.00 55.7449.48

(July-Oct.)-11.23

47.51(July-Oct.)

4.15

Source: Export Promotion Bureau

(Million US $)

30

Value of letters of credit opened for import(Million US$)

Sectors / CommoditiesFresh LCs opening Settlement of LCs Outstanding LCs

July-Oct. 2015 July-Oct. 2014 July-Oct. 2015 July-Oct. 2014 July-Oct. 2015 July-Oct. 2014

A. Consumer goods 1550.77 1726.96 1499.41 1544.40 1700.90 1747.18

Rice and wheat 443.98 626.99 440.24 415.36 350.48 438.96

Sugar and salt 187.18 294.30 233.75 253.33 413.37 405.18

Milk food 63.73 94.71 73.76 89.44 90.13 103.56

Edible oil (refined) 258.20 152.87 240.76 225.13 310.63 342.13

All kinds of fruits 66.95 45.84 51.83 42.30 32.67 28.06

Pulses 116.76 142.79 60.15 130.43 177.98 128.81

Onion 102.84 67.99 94.31 62.14 34.01 24.32

Spices 36.61 41.50 44.76 47.08 19.32 15.45

Second-hand clothings 0.28 0.79 2.87 2.79 1.77 1.14

Drugs and medicines (finished) 22.29 20.83 19.53 35.18 18.72 51.45

Others 251.96 238.36 237.45 241.22 251.82 208.11

B. Intermediate goods 1018.13 910.26 1013.75 1019.18 1489.07 1170.37

Coal 78.43 0.30 79.08 13.86 94.50 6.91

Cement 4.41 4.07 1.63 2.28 8.81 5.40

Clinker & limestone 152.18 138.26 184.95 192.53 174.01 195.65

B.P. Sheet 90.24 93.92 106.17 74.08 184.40 105.66

Tin plate 5.39 13.36 6.95 12.68 3.06 5.52

Scrap Vessels 136.17 209.92 160.46 274.46 359.36 274.52

Iron and steel scrap 202.34 130.78 149.86 106.56 238.28 186.93

Non-ferrous metal 76.17 52.39 67.80 75.43 83.44 66.21

Paper and paper board 113.53 101.72 104.55 99.59 140.70 111.47

Other 159.27 165.55 152.30 167.72 202.50 212.10

C. Industrial raw materials 5188.43 5195.94 4923.35 4953.41 7141.47 7263.31

Edible oil & oil seeds 519.46 310.77 367.62 327.32 706.45 636.31

Textile fabrics (B/B & others) 2248.31 2122.96 2029.83 1869.16 2804.09 2831.93

Pharmaceutical raw materials 158.02 149.82 174.04 155.28 113.85 166.52

Raw cotton 550.11 673.75 636.73 744.27 935.50 1013.23

Cotton yarn 345.04 400.33 334.60 436.67 494.47 549.31

Copra 2.93 2.47 2.58 3.47 1.15 1.21

Synthetic fibre & yarn 212.45 215.04 217.62 216.41 294.08 261.91

Chemicals & chem. products 1152.10 1320.80 1160.34 1200.83 1791.88 1802.89

D. Capital machinery 1201.30 1044.43 1145.76 917.20 5190.54 4278.41

Textile machinery 184.10 209.72 130.43 134.80 502.73 428.60

Leather/tannery 8.28 3.77 2.06 1.98 9.97 5.24

Jute industry 0.72 4.64 2.49 5.12 5.82 8.29

Garment Industry 204.55 162.85 158.53 125.06 575.54 492.60

Pharmaceutical industry 33.55 27.72 22.91 16.82 55.45 48.06

Packing industry 5.91 3.40 4.06 1.05 7.49 6.99

Other industry 764.20 632.33 825.29 632.36 4033.54 3288.63

E. Machinery for misc. industry 1348.31 1260.21 1546.44 1338.96 2018.29 2438.10

Other machineries 239.07 184.75 255.81 187.08 420.46 456.43

Marine diesel engine 5.09 2.84 6.87 2.78 64.74 74.27

Computer & its accessories 116.57 117.79 117.38 131.23 103.23 584.55

Motor vehicle & motorcycle parts 45.44 48.70 45.47 65.58 30.67 36.46

Bicycle parts 19.10 8.84 14.74 11.24 17.78 13.22

Other Iron and steel products 101.42 183.38 128.71 195.84 225.32 228.71

Motor vehicles 281.30 218.99 281.00 217.41 166.82 230.51

Other electronics components 53.45 41.01 42.24 49.27 89.89 73.22

Tractors & power tiller 35.94 35.49 23.58 25.94 30.88 31.27

Others 450.92 418.42 627.63 452.61 868.51 709.46

cont.

31

Sectors / CommoditiesFresh LCs opening Settlement of LCs Outstanding LCs

July-Oct. 2015 July-Oct. 2014 July-Oct. 2015 July-Oct. 2014 July-Oct. 2015 July-Oct. 2014

F. Petroleum & petroleum products 768.85 1417.48 854.41 1555.78 946.99 1388.80

Crude 119.99 223.72 266.27 355.66 350.43 628.99

Refined 648.86 1193.76 588.14 1200.12 596.55 759.81

G. Others 1935.52 2422.29 2211.44 1612.32 3369.66 3463.66

Total 13011.31 13977.57 13194.56 12941.24 21856.92 21749.83

Source: Bangladesh Bank 1099.50

Production of selected industrial items

Name of itemsUnit

No. of reporting industries (selected)

2013-14 2014-15Sept.2014

Aug. 2015 (p)

Sept. 2015 (p)

Food products

Fish & sea food Mt. 180 & * 57610 55238 6996 3552 4610Processing & preserving of fruits and Vegetables

"000" Littre 3 43557 61287 4125 5901 5005

Hyd. vegetable oil Mt. 2 353115 609778 46294 60786 71803Grain milling Mt. 8 209106 298939 24136 25839 21211Rice milling Mt. 6 18910 21409 2041 2050 1878Sugar Mt. 16 128267 78904 na na naBlack & blending tea Mt. 116 66604 63039 8730 7620 7625Edible salt Mt. 8 77686 78912 6687 5381 5380Animal feeds Mt. 3 345102 400996 32000 35995 36345

BeveragesSpirits & alcohol "000" Littre 1 4236 4561 415 224 407Soft drinks `000' Doz Bottle 4 70768 64523 6638 4579 4554Mineral water "000" Littre 4 127414 133086 11724 13973 8959

Tobacco productsCigarettes Mill. No 1 28314 26484 2361 1774 1951Biddies Mill. No 5 84122 85678 7024 7097 7098

TextilePreparation & spinning of textile fibers Mt. 20 175273 140485 12678 12313 12683Weaving of textiles "000" Metre 15 57386 44692 3569 3993 3856Dyeing, bleaching & finishing "000" Metre 19 73764 75336 6562 3600 3650Jute textile Mt. 95 387612 306678 24864 20905 21449

Wearing apparelWearing apparel Million Tk. * 966144 1014728 72520 88589 74894Knitwear Million Tk. * 935782 960188 82338 88007 77142

Leather and related productsTanning & finishing leather: "000" Sq.M. 175 & * 36636 34708 3339 1968 1918Leather footwear "000" Pair 4 16655 15292 1446 1027 758

Wood and products of wood and corkParticle board/ plywood "000"Sq.M. 2 7920 8782 703 795 800Paper and paper productsPulp, paper & newsprint Mt. 3 146812 163270 13536 13645 13650Articles made of paper Mt. 2 31322 36712 3050 3198 3200

Printing and reproduction of recorded mediaPrinting of books and periodicals "000" No. 10 158449 163891 13516 13840 13845

(Million US$)

(Base Year 2005-06=100)

CHAMBER NEWS | ISSUE- 01 | JANUARY 2016

32

Name of itemsUnit

No. of reporting industries (selected)

2013-14 2014-15Sept.2014

Aug. 2015 (p)

Sept. 2015 (p)

Coke and refined petroleum productsPetroleum refining Mt. 1 1236930 1261905 117300 100300 104510

Chemicals and chemical productsCompressed liquidified gas Cylinder(12.5kg0 2 1394711 1375458 133280 116977 111223Fertilizer Mt. 7 976691 1028157 89357 65906 66832Perfumes and cosmetics "000" Tk. 3 2841560 2162048 278223 124289 96912Soaps & detergents Mt. 3 68373 61627 4090 11961 10907Matches "000" Gross 2 20813 18935 1650 1495 1555

Pharmaceuticals and medicinal chemicalPharmaceuticals/Allopathic drugs and medicine

"000" Tk. 20 62005413 85880189 7403435 7594390 6552483

Unani and Ayur bedic medicine "000" Tk. 3 474035 534104 44775 45438 44866Rubber and plastic products

Rubber footwear/ other rubber products Dozen Pair 8 363093 393588 31775 33854 33870P.V.C products/plastic products Mt. 3 31632 35670 2985 3113 3158

Non-Metalic mineral productsGlass sheet "000"Sq.ft 3 9058 13556 1285 1222 1204Tiles "000"Sq.ft. 5 130457 159134 12450 14950 15035Ceramic "000" Dozen 2 9269 10396 860 925 955Cement Mt. 8 3569608 5770527 400590 606475 482527Bricks "000" No. 4 119440 110808 9267 13372 9061

Basic metalsRe-rolling mills Mt. 31 306057 393019 22585 30493 30495

Fabricated metal products except machineryStructural metal products "000" Mt. 5 8534 9664 810 888 741Other fabricated metal products Dozen 8 396886 401482 33474 34082 34283Television No. 3 252995 355931 26725 32856 37750

Electrical equipmentElectric motors, generators, transformers / electrical apparatus

No. 2 344749 345474 28719 30283 31216

Wires & cables(ELEC.) Mt. 3 22674 23955 1980 2262 2284Electrical appliances / Domestic appliances No. 9 236388 289036 22100 26455 27179

Machinery and equipment n.e.cAgriculture & forestry machinery No. 2 77065 82526 6910 6992 7010Machinery for textile , apparel and leather production

"000" No. 9 2581 4099 285 501 474

Machinery equipment NEC Mt. 10 257881 258427 21681 20492 21974Motor vehicles, trailers and semi trailers

Assemble of motor vehicles No. 2 846 735 68 132 100Other transport equipment

Ship and boat building Mt. 3 50070 171484 4200 26612 38190Motor cycle No. 3 68965 78896 6430 6751 6790

FurnitureMetal furniture No. 2 4725 4470 360 340 340Wooden furniture No. 5 65524 73712 5859 7340 7255Plastic furniture No. 2 406928 683457 55493 75067 68180

Gas & ElectricityNatural Gas MCuM 8 23233 25727 1999 2350 2168Electricity MKWH 1 40296 43447 3830 4549 4313

Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Note: n.a.=not available. p= provisional, r= revised, M.Cu.M.= million cubic meter. Mt = metric ton. MKWH = million kilowatt per hour, No.=Number, Sq.M.=Square Metre, Sq.ft.=Square Feet, Tk.= Taka, * = EPB

33

Consumer Price Index : National(Base: 2005-06 = 100)

Period General Index

Index by expenditure group

1. Food &

Beverage

2. Non-Food

I. Clothing

&Footwear

II. Fuel &

Lighting

III. HouseholdEquipment

IV. Medical Care & Health

Expense

V. Transport

& Commu-nication

VI. Recre-ation,Enter-

tainment

VII. Misc.

Goods & Services

2010-11 156.59 170.48 138.77 140.09 132.33 158.13 144.55 127.44 139.52 148.682011-12 170.19 183.65 152.94 160.79 143.36 175.58 152.63 148.58 144.48 164.572012-13 181.73 193.24 166.97 179.66 155.61 195.33 159.66 159.34 157.23 182.542013-14 195.08 209.79 176.23 194.77 163.47 206.14 164.06 167.20 164.38 193.752014-15 207.58 223.80 186.79 208.50 171.80 214.45 180.77 181.78 168.02 204.21

Nov.,14 206.86 223.81 185.14 207.47 170.94 212.29 175.57 180.36 167.61 202.43Dec.,14 207.78 224.29 186.62 208.95 171.48 214.04 177.15 183.90 168.31 204.94Jan.,15 210.12 226.61 188.98 211.06 172.95 215.49 189.51 185.11 168.64 207.33Feb.,15 210.74 227.25 189.58 212.15 173.12 216.77 191.52 185.54 168.71 207.35Mar.,15 211.31 228.12 189.77 212.25 173.18 217.79 191.62 185.75 168.77 207.47Apr.,15 211.51 228.39 189.86 212.31 173.23 218.02 191.69 185.88 168.80 207.56May,15 208.77 223.36 190.07 212.37 173.25 219.10 191.88 186.10 169.09 207.71Jun.,15 209.17 223.43 190.88 214.50 173.53 219.78 192.38 186.97 169.69 208.80Jul.,15 212.65 227.78 193.26 223.43 173.74 221.85 193.61 190.80 169.80 209.62Aug.,15 215.03 231.91 193.39 223.21 174.06 222.31 193.78 191.19 169.90 208.82

Sep.,15 218.21 235.85 195.59 231.68 175.28 223.02 194.13 193.62 169.97 209.20

Oct.,15 219.62 237.44 196.77 231.53 175.45 223.94 194.36 200.08 170.22 210.86

Nov.,15 219.38 236.61 197.29 231.99 175.84 225.03 194.40 201.28 170.48 211.01

Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics

Period General Index

Index by expenditure group

1. Food &

Beverage

2. Non-Food

I. Clothing

&Footwear

II. Fuel &

Lighting

III. HouseholdEquipment

IV. Medical Care & Health

Expense

V. Transport

& Commu-nication

VI. Recreation,Entertain-

ment

VII. Misc.

Goods & Services

2010-11 159.41 170.81 141.28 143.51 134.08 155.22 147.33 125.37 151.11 150.172011-12 173.26 183.62 156.77 164.55 146.37 169.35 156.87 150.60 158.26 168.842012-13 183.90 192.14 170.79 184.54 157.40 186.40 164.63 160.98 174.07 187.052013-14 196.90 207.72 179.69 200.61 164.05 197.62 168.87 166.01 179.72 199.742014-15 209.10 221.02 190.13 214.07 171.34 209.29 187.18 174.09 183.84 212.34

Nov.,14 208.32 221.00 188.15 213.58 170.59 206.51 179.92 173.77 183.32 208.76Dec.,14 209.19 221.47 189.66 215.30 171.49 208.26 181.49 174.59 184.39 213.19Jan.,15 211.55 223.73 192.18 216.76 172.35 210.11 197.21 175.03 184.53 216.91Feb.,15 212.21 224.25 193.04 218.14 172.57 211.91 200.32 175.52 184.58 216.87Mar.,15 212.79 225.03 193.32 218.21 172.66 213.48 200.40 175.75 184.64 216.99Apr.,15 212.92 225.17 193.42 218.28 172.73 213.79 200.42 175.88 184.66 217.06May,15 209.99 220.29 193.60 218.33 172.75 214.47 200.55 176.19 184.94 217.19Jun.,15 210.39 220.31 194.62 221.18 172.90 214.97 201.12 177.37 185.96 218.56Jul.,15 213.75 224.32 196.93 230.24 173.07 215.90 202.75 179.72 186.15 219.47Aug.,15 216.15 228.17 197.02 229.94 173.54 216.41 202.80 180.13 186.20 218.07

Sep.,15 219.31 231.79 199.44 240.91 173.90 217.33 203.20 181.71 186.25 218.14

Oct.,15 220.53 233.19 200.39 240.82 173.91 218.52 203.52 187.27 186.30 219.41

Nov.,15 220.01 232.04 200.87 241.30 174.42 219.72 203.53 187.40 186.77 219.64

Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics

Consumer Price Index : Rural(Base: 2005-06 = 100)

CHAMBER NEWS | ISSUE- 01 | JANUARY 2016

34

Period General Index

Index by expenditure group

1. Food &

Beverage

2. Non-Food

I. Clothing

&Footwear

II. Fuel &

Lighting

III. HouseholdEquipment

IV. Medical Care & Health

Expense

V. Transport

& Commu-nication

VI. Recreation,Entertain-

ment

VII. Misc.

Goods & Services

2010-11 151.36 169.68 135.43 133.58 130.30 163.26 139.80 129.72 127.01 146.83

2011-12 164.52 183.71 147.84 153.65 139.88 186.54 145.37 146.34 129.61 159.31

2012-13 177.71 195.91 161.88 170.39 153.55 211.03 151.15 157.53 139.06 176.96

2013-14 191.73 214.85 171.61 183.66 162.80 221.11 155.82 168.52 147.83 186.37

2014-15 204.76 230.56 182.32 197.93 172.33 223.53 169.80 190.26 150.95 194.16

Nov.,14 204.16 230.65 181.12 195.87 171.36 222.44 168.12 187.63 150.66 194.63

Dec.,14 205.17 231.16 182.57 196.88 171.48 224.22 169.72 194.16 150.96 194.75

Jan.,15 207.47 233.62 184.72 200.23 173.64 224.93 176.35 196.21 151.48 195.49

Feb.,15 208.03 234.56 184.96 200.79 173.76 225.33 176.46 196.58 151.58 195.60

Mar.,15 208.58 235.64 185.04 200.92 173.79 225.38 176.58 196.77 151.64 195.70

Apr.,15 208.90 236.26 185.10 200.96 173.80 225.45 176.74 196.89 151.68 195.84

May,15 206.53 230.85 185.37 201.07 173.82 227.24 177.04 197.03 151.99 196.00

Jun.,15 206.90 231.04 185.90 201.81 174.25 228.25 177.42 197.54 152.13 196.76

Jul.,15 210.63 236.22 188.38 210.50 174.53 232.32 177.96 203.00 152.17 197.47

Aug.,15 212.96 241.03 188.55 210.44 174.67 232.70 178.33 203.31 152.31 197.39

Sep.,15 216.17 245.74 190.44 214.15 176.87 233.04 178.60 206.74 152.40 198.15

Oct.,15 217.93 247.82 191.93 213.90 177.24 233.48 178.68 214.19 152.86 200.30

Nov.,15 218.21 247.76 192.51 214.31 177.47 234.36 178.77 216.57 152.89 200.36

Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics

Consumer Price Index : Urban(Base: 2005-06 = 100)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe Chamber thankfully received the following publications.

Name of publication & publisher

Bharat Bichitra(September, October, 2015)

Indian High Commission, Dhaka

Textile Excellence

(Bangladesh Edition, October, 2015)

3i Publishing Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai, India

MIDAS News

(September, 2015)

Micro Industries Development Assistance Society (MIDAS), Dhaka

Shippers’ News

(July-September, 2015)

Shippers’ Council of Bangladesh, Dhaka

Focus Denmark

(Winter-Spring, 2016)

Ministry of foreign Affairs of Denmark, Copenhagen

Shilpabarta

(November, 2015)

Ministry of Industries, Dhaka

Bangladesh Textile Today

(October, November, 2015) 2013)

Amin & Jahan Corporation Limited, Dhaka

FICCI

(October, November, 2015)

Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), Dhaka

Korea

(December, 2015)

Korean Culture and Information Service, Seoul, South Korea

MIS Report

(October, 2015)

Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), Dhaka

Hortex Newsletter

(July-December, 2014)

Horticulture Export Development Foundation, Dhaka

Connect

(July-August, 2015)

Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD), Dhaka