 August 2018A Sri Lanka-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry business delegation held a meeting with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority to discuss bilateral trade and investment expansion between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan businessmen expressed desire to take advantage of Bangladesh's business-friendly environment. According to Mr. Aminul, Sri Lankan entrepreneurs are interested to invest in LPG wholesaling, the financial sector, information technology, and port logistics. Read More Tags: Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Investment, Bilateral Agreement, ICT, Ports  October 2017The new-look SASEC website is fully mobile-friendly and automatically adjusts to fit the screen you are using — computer, tablet, or mobile phone—making it a convenient choice for staying in touch with regional cooperation throughout South Asia. SASEC has also updated to HTTPS for enhanced cybersecurity and user privacy. Read More Tags: SASEC, ICT, Regional Cooperation, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Maldives  August 2017SASEC conceptualized the Information Highway Project to assist cooperation in the region and realize SASEC's goals of social and trade development. The project is being implemented in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal with the aim of making ICT more accessible to remote communities in these countries. It is expected to help SASEC countries increase their productivity and participate fully in the global information economy. Read More Tags: SASEC, ICT  August 2017Bangladesh plans to export 102.5 gigabit per second of bandwidth to its neighbors, Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Negotiations are ongoing to enable 2.5 Gb per second of bandwidth export to Bhutan through India’s Power Grid Corporation of India Limited's fiber optic cable. Read More Tags: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, ICT, Trade  April 2017Bangladesh has the potential to become a transport hub for India, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Myamar, according to Mr. AMA Muhith, Finance Minister, Bangladesh. Turning Bangladesh into a regional and transshipment hub would enhance economic cooperation and result in collective economic growth for the countries, Mr. Muhith said at the SASEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, India. Read More Tags: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Economic Corridor Development, Energy, ICT, India, Nepal, Maldives, Myanmar, SASEC, South Asia, Sri Lanka, Trade Facilitation, Transport, Regional Cooperation  March 2017A fast-rising information technology-enabled services (ITES) is opening global opportunities for the millions of Indian college graduates that enter the workforce every year. In this article, Mr. Pritam Banergee, Senior Director for Corporate Public Policy (South Asia), Deutsche Post DHL, discusses the need for India’s government and businesses to focus on trade policy reform that ensure markets remain open for the ITES sector. Read More Tags: ICT, India, Employment, Jobs, Services, South Asia, Tariffs, Technology, Trade Facilitation, Trade Facilitation Agreement, Trade Policy, WTO, Authorized Economic Operators  March 2017The Eighth BIMSTEC Roundtable Meeting tackled “Rewriting the Rulebook of Regional Connectivity,” emphasizing the need to resolve border-related trade barriers through coordination of government policies across Asia, including Customs procedures and clearance of goods, to unlock the vibrancy of the Asian Highway and reduce the cost of doing business. Read More Tags: BIMSTEC, Trade, Customs, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, ICT, Nepal, Transport, Ease of Doing Business  February 2017The outlook for trade growth has weakened and we are seeing an uncertain period in the global economy. In this speech delivered before the Confederation of Indian Industry, World Trade Organization Director-General Roberto Azevêdo asserts that instead of raising barriers, the opening up of trade will ensure more opportunities for more people. Read More Tags: Connectivity, Development, India, ICT, Employment, Services, Trade Facilitation Agreement, WTO  December 2016A Regional Workshop on the SASEC Research and Training Network was held to assess the results and achievements of the SASEC Information Highway Project. The Meeting reviewed project implementation, discussed knowledge products, and summarized project benefits to rural communities. It also proposed ways to facilitate sustainable ICT cooperation among the four countries. Read More Tags: ICT, SASEC, ADB, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal  December 2016The SASEC project portfolio has surpassed the $9 billion mark with the December 2016 approval of Nepal’s SASEC Roads Improvement Project, worth $256.5 million. There are now 44 SASEC investment projects worth a cumulative $9.13 billion. During 2016, seven projects have been approved for a total of $2.37 billion. Read More Tags: SASEC, Trade Facilitation, Energy, Transport, Roads, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, ICT, Rail, Economic corridor, Connectivity  November 2016A conference held by the Sri Lanka Press Institute highlighted how enabling paperless trade will improve Sri Lanka's business competitiveness, and help the country achieve its ambition of becoming a regional logistics hub by enhancing its international trade processes. Read More Tags: Sri Lanka, Trade, Trade Facilitation, ICT  July 2016South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) investment projects increased to a cumulative $7.66 billion in the areas of transport, energy, trade facilitation, and ICT with the recent approval of India’s Bihar New Ganga Bridge Project. To date, 40 SASEC-supported projects are helping member countries strengthen regional connectivity infrastructure, promote economic growth, and foster regional cooperation. In addition, there are now 71 technical assistance projects worth $66.14 mi Read More Tags: SASEC, Energy, Trade Facilitation, Transport, South Asia, ADB, ICT, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Economic Corridor Development  June 2016Meetings between Customs officials from SASEC member countries reaps benefits for the SASEC subregion and beyond, providing a platform for officers to decide the next steps in improving cross-border coordination and cooperation to resolve bottlenecks for trade at the borders. An Asian Development Bank (ADB) blog post by Ms. Rose McKenzie, Senior Regional Cooperation Specialist, Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination, South Asia Regional Department, ADB, is shared. Read More Tags: Customs, Trade Facilitation, Regional Cooperation, ICT, BBIN, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal  May 2016The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Development Fund (SAARC SDF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a memorandum of understanding to undertake development projects in the South Asian region. Read More Tags: ADB, Transport, SAARC, ICT, Trade, Bhutan, India, Nepal  May 2016The India-Myanmar Business Conclave met recently as part of a push for stronger economic ties between the two countries. At a conference on 18-20 May in Yangon, Myanmar, business leaders discussed partnerships as well as opportunities for future cooperation. Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry of India, spoke on forging partnerships, highlighting India’s opening of 96.4% of tariff lines at zero duty for Myanmar. Read More Tags: Myanmar, India, Trade, Energy, ICT  March 2016India's Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) is implementing an 'Integrated Declaration,' under its Single Window Project to facilitate more efficient processing of Customs clearance for imports and exports, and promote ease of doing business in the country. The electronic Integrated Declaration offers a single point where import traders can lodge information required by Customs and the Partner Government Agencies, replacing 9 separate forms previously required. Read More Tags: India, Trade Facilitation, ICT, WCO  March 2016Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the inauguration of an additional 100 megawatt electricity supply from India's Tripura state to Bangladesh's Comilla state, and the leasing of 10 GBPS of internet bandwidth from Bangladesh to India's Agartala state on 23 March 2016. Both Prime Ministers lauded Bangladesh-India cooperation. Read More Tags: Bangladesh, India, ICT, Energy, BBIN  March 2016The Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) commemorated its 4th Foundation Day, headed by Mr. Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs who launched the LPAI logo and website. In his address, Mr. Rijiju reaffirmed the Government's commitment to enhance land borders that will increase trade with neighboring countries. He remarked on the need to explore new trade routes, particularly in the North East region. Read More Tags: ICT, Trade Facilitation, India  March 2016The Government of Bangladesh has launched the Bangladesh Trade Portal, a one-stop shop for information on conducting trade with Bangladesh. The website offers useful information on exporting goods from, and importing commercial goods into Bangladesh, to promote the country's trade sector. Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said the portal marks a milestone for business and traders. Read More Tags: Bangladesh, Trade, Trade Facilitation, ICT  December 2015The SASEC Information Highway Project will enable Bangladesh to export at least 50 gbps of bandwidth to Bhutan, northeast India, and Nepal, said an official from Bangladesh's ICT Division. An initial 10 gbps will initially be imported to India's northeast, which could bring in earnings of around $1.23 million a year. The Indian states of Assam and Meghalaya, and Bhutan, have also expressed interest to import bandwidth. Read More Tags: ICT, Bangladesh, Bhutan  October 2015A meeting between Bhutan Tourism Board officials and India's State Tourism Secretary Ajit Ranjan Bardhan discussed ways to improve links between Bhutan and India, including introducing an online entry permit system for Indian visitors and easing immigration checks. Bhutan agreed to consider providing online permits by 2016, said Secretary Bardhan. Read More Tags: ICT, India, Bhutan, Tourism  August 2015Sri Lanka is in the final stages of its Customs automation process to ensure trade facilitation. Customs operations will be electronically processed and computer-based for a paperless environment that allows more interaction between trade and Customs. Automation equipment orders have been placed and delivered to Sri Lanka -- and the system is expected to be fully operational by March 2016. Read More Tags: Customs, ICT, Sri Lanka  July 2015India’s Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad laid the foundation stone on 13 July 2015 to link Agartala, India in the Tripura border area with International Gateway Service at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. This will strengthen telecommunications services and improve Internet connectivity in the landlocked North Eastern states of India. Read More Tags: Bangladesh, ICT, India  April 2015The Cabinet of Bangladesh approved a 3-year agreement to export 10 gigabytes to India’s northeastern states on lease and commercial basis. State-owned entity Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Ltd (BSCCL) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) signed the “Agreement Between BSNL and BSCCL for Leasing of International Bandwidth for Internet at Akhaura (Zero Point)”. Read More Tags: Bangladesh, India, ICT  August 2014Economic dynamism in the Asia-Pacific region has been driven primarily by individual economies, yet to ensure sustainable growth in the future, countries must integrate and cooperate to share prosperity, according to the 2014edition of the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific. Read More Tags: Regional Cooperation, Poverty Reduction, UNESCAP, Asia-Pacific, Energy, Connectivity, ICT, LDC, SASEC, Trade, Transport  May 2012 April 2012During the Bilateral Interconnection Agreement Meeting held on 25-27 April 2012 in Manila major telecommunication providers from SASEC countries signed agreements for the direct peering and exchange of internet traffic through high speed fiber-optic links to be built under the Information Highway. Read More Tags: ADB, Bangladesh, Bhutan, ICT, Nepal, Regional Integration |
