By AKM Moinuddin
Dhaka, Jul 21 (UNB)- Pragati Industries Limited, a subsidiary of Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation (BSEC), will offer luxurious Japanese Pajero Sports Jeep in the local market by June next year after assembling in its Chittagong plant.
The price of each Pajero Sports Jeep, assembled by Pragati, will be Tk 60 lakh in the local market while it will cost at least Tk 1.20 crore if imported directly from Japan, BSEC chairman Mohammad Abu Hafiz said at press conference at the Industries Ministry conference room yesterday.
Industries minister Dilip Barua, industries secretary Dewan Zakir Hossain and additional secretary ABM Khorshed Alam were present at the press conference.
Briefing the journalists, minister Barua said the government would earn over Tk 27 lakh in revenue from each assembled Pajero Sports Jeep sold locally.
He said Pragati Industries would hopefully go into trial assembling of pajero sports jeep by January next year.
Pragati Industries have already taken steps to import 12 pajero sports jeeps in CKD (Completely Knocked Down) condition by November this year, the minister added. Replying to a question, industries secretary Dewan Zakir Hossain said the demand for such vehicle is remarkable in the local market. "Pragati has a capacity of assembling 800 units of pajero sports jeep each year."
Pragati Industries signed a five-year agreement with Mitsubishi Motor Corporation on July 8 in Japan for assembling its pajero sports jeep at their Chittagong plant.
Managing director of Pragati Industries Engr Mohammad Zahir Uddin Chowdhury and corporate general manager of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation Genichiro Nishina signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.
BSEC chairman Mohammad Abu Hafiz, additional industries secretary ABM Khorshed Alam and a senior official of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Mitsuyoshi Yokoi were present at the signing ceremony.
Earlier, the state-owned BSEC and the Mitsubishi Motor Corporation agreed to set up a joint venture plant to manufacture cars in country' s commercial capital Chittagong.
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation on December 3 last year sent a proposal titled "Proposal for pajero sports assembling project at PIL factory" to the industries ministry with an estimated cost of 110 million Japanese Yen.
Following the proposal, a memorandum of understanding between the two parties was signed on February 24 this year for assembling pajero sports jeep.
Separate teams from Japan visited the Chittagong plant of Pragati Industries thrice this year - in March, April and July - and had given training to the local engineers. The Cabinet committee on public purchase approved procuring through PIL 420 pajero jeeps for upazila chairmen and 208 pajero for Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) in the fiscal 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Pragati Industries made a record profit of Tk 25.05 crore against a target of Tk 21.79 crore in the just-ended fiscal, which was the highest achievement of the company so far. Its profit was Tk 16.60 crore in the fiscal 2008-2009. The government earned revenue worth Tk 87.33 crore from the PIL in the last fiscal while the amount was Tk 47.60 crore in the fiscal 2008-09.
END/UNB/AKM
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