Govt won’t privatize any SoE without generating alternative employment: Minister Barua

By AKM Moinuddin

Dhaka, Aug 3 (UNB) - The government has decided not to privatize any
profitable units in future and not handover any state-owned
enterprise (SoE) to private ownership without creating alternative
employment opportunity.
The new industrial policy, which is awaiting cabinet approval, will
have specific directives in this regard, Industries Minister Dilip
Barua said while talking to journalists at his office on Tuesday.
He said the draft Industrial Policy 2010 was cleared Monday at a
meeting of the cabinet committee on Economic Affairs and sent to the
cabinet for approval. “I hope the policy will get formal approval
without any major changes.”
Earlier, a three-member committee headed by Board of Investment (BoI)
chairman SA Samad was formed to scrutinize the draft industrial
policy. After necessary scrutiny, the draft policy with some minor
changed was placed before the cabinet committee on Economic Affairs
for its consideration.
The committee approved the Industries Ministry proposal to drop the
Karnaphuli Rayon and Chemical Complex Ltd (KRC) from the
privatization list, the Industries Minister informed. The KRC is a
subsidiary of state-owned Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation
(BCIC).
Meanwhile, the Industries Ministry has opposed the Privatization
Commission’s suggestion to offload 30 percent government share of
Dhaka Match Industries Co. Ltd.
Monday’s meeting of the cabinet committee on Economic Affairs, with
Finance Minister AMA Muhith in the chair, favored Industries Ministry’
s proposal not to offload the government share of Dhaka Match
Industries.
The meeting took no decision about resuming operation of North Bengal
Paper Mills Ltd as a case is pending in court, Minister Barua
informed.
He said the new industrial policy will have specific guidelines on
industrialization in the country with a vision till 2021.
END/UNB/AKM