Staff Reporter:
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) helps Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) in setting up a regional one-stop service centre at Bangladesh Special Economic Zone in Araihazar, Nara-yanganj, to ensure seamless solutions to investors.
The centre was inaugurated as a significant milestone under JICA’s Technical Cooperation titled ‘Special Economic Zone Management and Investment Promotion Capacity Building Project’ at an event in Nara-yanganj on Tuesday.
With the greater objective to strengthen BEZA’s functions and capabilities, the centre seeks to streamline and enhance efficiency of services for businesses operating within the economic zone.
The regional one-stop service centre will act as a centralized hub for various administrative processes, including licensing, permits, and customs clearance, among other regulatory requirements.
The Bangladesh Special Economic Zone (BSEZ) is the country’s pioneered special economic zone or industrial park that meets international standards. JICA supports the government’s infrastructure ad-vancement financing with Japanese ODA loans.
“The regional One-Stop Service Centre at BSEZ is a testament to the continued collaboration between Japan and Bangladesh. This centre will play a pivotal role in facilitating business operations within the BSEZ and bolstering the country’s overall investment environment by acting as a role model for other economic zones in Bangladesh,” Mr. ICHIGUCHI Tomohide, Chief Representative at JICA Bangladesh said.
JICA supports BSEZ Limited through equity-backed financing to the Bangladeshi government through the Japanese ODA loan program and direct investment in BSEZ Limited through private-sector invest-ment financing.
The inaugural event was also attended by BEZA Executive Chairman Mr. Shaikh Yusuf Harun, as chief guest, Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh Mr. Kiminori Iwama as guest of honor; and Managing Direc-tor at Bangladesh SEZ Limited Mr. Taro Kawachi.
JICA’s investment promotion project aims to improve investment in economic zone environments by establishing a self-operational structure of central and regional one-stop service centers. The newly inau-gurated regional one-stop centre stands as a tangible outcome of the project, contributing to realizing a more efficient and business-friendly environment within the zones.
