BigstockThe regional connectivity, with opening up economic corridors, might bring more FDITo attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the post-Covid-19 era, experts on Saturday called for a stable, consistent policy regime, as well as a wide range of one-stop services (OSS) and automation in providing services. Discussants of the webinar demanded holistic approaches for developing quality governance and competitive tax measures to facilitate hassle free foreign investment, automation in customs clearance process, and integrated port and logistic infrastructure for enhancing cross border and regional connectivity. “Our trade policy is highly protected and trade-to-GDP ratio is falling as we are concentrated on the domestic market rather than the export market,’’ said Ahsan H Mansur, executive director, Policy Research Institute (PRI). He advocated for an inclusive and diverse range of one-stop services (OSS) i.e., automation, paperless trade measures, etc, to attract more FDI in the post-Covid-19 era. In 2019, Bangladesh received $2.87 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), down by 20.46% compared to $3.61 billion in 2018.

Source: Dhaka Tribune September 26, 2020 11:48 UTC