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The government is ready to invest Tk1,000 crore in the tourism sector, but expects the sector to generate an equivalent amount in foreign exchange, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office A B M Abdus Sattar has said.
“If we give you Tk1,000 crore, you have to promise that you will spend it on development and bring Tk1,000 crore in remittances or foreign exchange into the country in return. If you make such a commitment, there will be no shortage of funds,” he said.
He made the remarks at a discussion held at the Tourism Bhaban in Agargaon on Monday to mark World Tourism Day.
Sattar stressed the need to develop tourism into a major source of foreign-exchange earnings and urged private-sector operators to work in coordination with the government to establish tourism as a new source of foreign currency for the economy.
He said the government would focus on outcomes and foreign-exchange earnings rather than spending on publicity, formalities and administrative activities.
“If a large portion of a project is spent on publicity, formalities and administrative work, its core objective is undermined,” he said, stressing the need for greater efficiency in tourism investment.
Sattar urged private tourism entrepreneurs to maintain direct communication with the government, saying closer engagement could help resolve problems and produce positive results.
“You have not remained in touch with us—that is a complaint from you, but it is also a complaint from me,” he said, adding that the government deals with thousands of issues and problems and that stronger engagement with entrepreneurs could lead to better outcomes.
He said prominent representatives from different sectors had visited the Prime Minister’s Office over the past seven months, with many being given the opportunity to meet the prime minister and discuss sector-specific problems.
According to Sattar, the prime minister had spent four to six hours listening to problems from different sectors and issued instructions for their resolution.
He proposed forming an advisory committee comprising tourism entrepreneurs and government officials. He asked the chairman of the Bangladesh Tourism Corporation to form a 30-member committee, with the majority of members coming from the private sector.
The committee, he said, could prepare a 30- to 40-minute presentation featuring information, photographs and videos highlighting Bangladesh’s tourism potential and attractions, which could subsequently be presented to the prime minister.
Sattar said tourism should be developed as a major source of foreign-exchange earnings alongside remittances and that the matter should be brought to the prime minister’s attention.
He said the government was ready to provide necessary support to the sector.
Drawing a comparison with incentives offered to remittance earners, Sattar suggested that similar incentives could be considered for tourism entrepreneurs who bring foreign tourists to Bangladesh and generate foreign-exchange earnings.
“If you bring in $100, there should be no problem for us in giving you $5,” he said, adding that the government was considering incentives for those who bring foreign currency into the country.
However, he stressed that the tourism sector would also have to demonstrate its contribution to the national economy in return for government support.
Sattar also referred to the country’s broader economic situation and said the government had provided around Tk37,000 crore in subsidies to the energy sector over the past six months following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.
He said the government had sought to reduce pressure on the public by keeping fuel prices unchanged for as long as possible, adding that fuel prices in Bangladesh remained relatively low compared with those in other South Asian countries.
He said the economic realities of the country needed to be taken into account when planning and implementing tourism projects.
Highlighting limitations in tourism infrastructure and connectivity, Sattar shared his own experience of travelling to Kuakata. He said he had once set out for Kuakata in the morning but could not reach the destination before evening because of the long journey, and subsequently did not get another opportunity to visit the area.
He also stressed the need to address security concerns, administrative complications and hotel-related problems faced by foreign tourists visiting Bangladesh.
He called for reducing harassment of tourists and creating a simpler and more comfortable environment for them.
Bangladesh could learn from tourism systems in different countries, he said, suggesting that facilities and management practices used elsewhere for foreign tourists could be adapted to local conditions.
Addressing tourism entrepreneurs, Sattar urged them to prepare a comprehensive presentation and present it to the prime minister.
“Prepare a good presentation and present it to the prime minister. We are with you. If you face any problem in tourism or related sectors, you can contact me. I will convey your message to the prime minister,” he said.
Land and Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs State Minister Mir Helal Uddin MP attended the meeting as the chief guest.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry Secretary Fahmida Akter and Planning Commission Member (Secretary) Dr Nurunnahar Chowdhury also spoke at the meeting.
Bangladesh Tourism Corporation Chairman Md Shamimuzzaman chaired the event, which was attended by government officials, private-sector tourism entrepreneurs and other stakeholders.