DHAKA, Aug 9, 2026 (BSS) - The 16th meeting of the Private Sector Development Policy Coordination Committee (PSDPCC) was held yesterday at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) with Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister ABM Abdus Sattar in the chair.

The meeting held with the participation of senior government officials and private sector representatives emphasized the urgent need to accelerate the implementation of reforms proposed and agreed upon in previous PSDPCC meetings and to strengthen the Committee’s role in preparing reform proposals for consideration by the government, said a press release today. 

The Principal Secretary stressed the importance of undertaking necessary pre-work and preparatory analysis on reforms before matters are placed before the highest level, noting that this would help reduce decision-making time. 

He also suggested that the Committee’s membership could be reviewed and strengthened by bringing in new members with relevant expertise. 

At the outset, Dr. Ahmedullah, Director General, PMO, provided an overview of PSDPCC and noted that the previous meeting had been held on 25 October 2025. 

The Principal Secretary emphasized the need to increase meeting frequency to address deregulation, regulatory simplification, and the reduction of the cost of doing business. 

Finance Secretary Dr. Md. Khairuzzaman Mozumder acknowledged BUILD’s role as a Public-Private Dialogue platform working through its seven thematic working committees, noting that while recommendations are formulated through PPD, implementation rests with relevant government institutions.

Ahsan Habib, Acting Chairman of NBR, reported that partial exporter import provisions are incorporated into the proposed Import Policy and that a Free Trade Zone established to operate like a central bonded warehouse will allow partial exporters to procure inputs. 

The Acting Chairman of NBR clarified that income tax collections in question are Advance Income Tax adjustable through final returns, adding that NBR is automating tax refunds. 

Following this, Ferdaus Ara Begum, CEO of BUILD, made a presentation on the importance and activities of PSDPCC and the broader Public-Private Dialogue platform. 

Her presentation outlined core agendas on deregulation, ease of doing business, and an assessment of the eight reform pillars under the national budget for FY27.

Abul Kasem Khan, Chairperson of BUILD, elaborated that BUILD’s recommendations examine international best practices and concrete business constraints, observing that implementation could be accelerated if the platform becomes more dynamic through frequent meetings and if well-prepared recommendations are appropriately referred to the Committee chaired by the Prime Minister.

A major focus of the meeting was the leather sector and the draft Export Roadmap prepared by BUILD. 

Md. Nurruzzaman, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Industries, acknowledged design deficiencies in the CETP and noted that an Italian consultant and a Dhaka University expert are examining the issue to prepare reports. He added that full compliance is essential for Leather Working Group certification, though substantial investment is required. 

Regarding Tannery Solid Waste management, Dr. Fahmida Khanam, Acting Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, explained that waste divides into recyclable materials and sludge, identifying hazardous chrome separation as a key challenge and noting that Bangladesh could explore commercial waste utilization models.

Mohammad Abdur Rouf, Secretary, Bridges Division, emphasized compliance in CETP maintenance and the need to strengthen Qurbani raw hide storage infrastructure.

Dr. Ali Akbar, President of REHAB, suggested smaller factories use a common Central Effluent Treatment Plant while larger ones establish individual ETPs, and Dr. Nazneen Kawser Choudhury, Secretary of NSDA, emphasized strengthening the Leather Sector Council. 

Addressing solar energy, Kazi Emdadul Haque, Director General, BSTI, informed that standards for 39 solar products were developed while proposing four products for the Import Policy 2026–2029: photovoltaic modules, solar photovoltaic inverters, secondary cells and batteries, and charge controllers.

Md. Sabur Hossein, Additional Secretary, Energy Division, requested policy support for domestic solar producers. 

The Principal Secretary urged BSTI to overcome certification bottlenecks, highlighted Pakistan’s progress in solar power, encouraged the private sector to utilize duty-free solar accessories announced in the budget, and suggested exploring private participation in the railway sector. 

Regarding the Cross-Border Digital Commerce Policy, Dr. Md. Habibur Rahman, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank, stated that payment aggregator platform EkPay is developing under Clause 18 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2024, with private platforms encouraged.

Concluding the meeting, the Principal Secretary recommended introducing a five-year, fully digitalized trade license with a single simplified tax rate based on business size, and requested the next PSDPCC meeting be held in three months to review progress. 

The meeting ended with a renewed commitment from both sectors to remove regulatory constraints, reduce business costs, and improve the investment climate following LDC graduation.