Americans are polite, but Bangladesh can’t benefit from them: Finance minister

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said US delegates who visit here are polite but Bangladesh cannot gain any benefits from them in the long run.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 3 Feb 2016, 03:31 PM
Updated : 3 Feb 2016, 03:31 PM

He made the remark after a meeting with Fred Hochberg, Chairman and President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, at his Secretariat office on Wednesday.

Hochberg, who is heading the official export credit agency of the US government in his second term, told reporters after the meeting that Bangladesh had huge investment potentials.

When journalists drew the finance minister’s attention to Hochberg’s statement, he said, “Of course, the investment potentials are huge. But nobody comes. This is the problem.”

Asked what sort of facilities Hochberg wanted, Muhith said, “There is no need to ask for any facility. Facilities exist. They don’t come”

After a pause, he said, “They will come. They are trying to come.”

Asked if their interest was encouraging, the finance minister said, “It may be encouraging and all that.  Foreign investment will not come unless domestic investment takes place. One should know that.”

He said the US official on his maiden visit to Bangladesh did not discuss any particular investment area or project but enquired about four sectors – power, transportation, education, and health.

 “He has shown his goodwill based on the briefing he got,” the minister said.

Muhith discussed with Hochberg Bangladeshi products’ quota- and duty-free access to the US market and said “he has shown interest in it.”

Asked if Bangladesh will benefit from the discussion, the minister said, “It’s too early to say that. Most of those who come here are nice and polite. But we can’t reach our goals.”

Hochberg played a role in the fundraising for Barack Obama in his campaign for presidency.