The speakers, at the BEI-WB workshop, underscored the need for modifying telecommunication act, giving more authority to the telecom watchdog, and appointing skilled manpower with higher salaries.

Rohan Samarajiva, advisor to the Ministry of Economic Reform, Science and Technology of Sri Lanka, AFM Nazmul Hossain Chowdhry, commissioner of BTRC, Abu Saeed Khan, a telecom analyst, Abdul Awal, faculty member North South University, FQM Farooq, vice chairman BTRC, Habibullah N. Karim president of Bangladesh Association for Software & Information Services (BASIS), SD Khan, former secretary of the Ministry of Post and Telecommu- nications, Abdul Wadud, consultant of GrameenPhone, and Abu Sadat M Sayem, head of Marketing of Sheba Telecom, took part in discussion. Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, vice chancellor of BRAC University, chaired the session.

The discussants put forward a set of recommendations for improvement of the sector.

They unanimously sought restructuring of the state-owned Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB).

Experts also urged the government to open up international gateway for both voice and data communication to private operators.

E-governance to better investment climate

Discussants at a working session recommended introduction of e-governance and customer-friendly regulatory body to improve the investment climate.

They identified policy inconsistencies and lack of coordination between different government agencies as major hurdles to local and foreign investment.

Discussants, comprising the representatives from public, private and donor agencies, spoke at the session, titled 'Business friendly regulatory environment for improving the investment climate.'

A keynote paper was submitted by M Velmurugan, additional director of Industries Department, government of Tamil Nadu, India.

The speakers also said outdated laws relating to the investment and industrialisation are need to be updated to spur the growth of investment.

Putting accent on single agency to facilitate the new investment, discussants recommended formation of a coordinating committee comprising the representatives both from public and private sectors.

The proposed committee will address issues like water, electricity, gas supplies and telephone connection, besides land purchasing on behalf of investors of new industry, they proposed.

Other recommendations at the session include improving capacity of government officials and better remuneration, establishing inter-ministerial body for policy recommendations and simplified tax rules for the small and medium enterprise.

Syed Manzur Elahi, former adviser to the caretaker government, SM Al Hussainy and Mozibul Hoque, former secretaries, Selima Ahmad, president of the Bangladesh Women Chamber of Business and Industry, Aminur Rahman, first secretary (Tax Policy) of National Board of Revenue, and Abdul Hannan Zoarder, executive director of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), among others, spoke at the session.

Dr Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, principal secretary to the prime minister at the concluding session said he will recommend formation of a secretary level committee to move forward with the recommendations coming out of the workshop.

He said the government is trying with full commitment to develop the country's economy, but an ideal situation is far away, he confessed.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Fakhruddin Ahmed was also present at the concluding session.