One-stop service cuts business costs

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When submitting an application in person, there is always the chance of having to pay a bribe. Or the file might be held up for no justified reason. But if the application is filed online, there is a compulsion for it to be settled within a stipulated time, with no under-the-table dubious deals.

Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) has ensured such hassle-free service through its One-Stop Service centre (OSS), offering 14 services online.

For example, the Australian group TIC did not have to go to the BEZA office for import-related documents when setting up a factory in the Meghna Industrial Economic Zone, not far from Dhaka, TIC’s local representative Mustafizur Rahman told Prothom Alo, “You don’t have to go through all the hassle as before. Service can be availed online. There are no costs outside of the government fee.”

The now defunct Board of Investment had set up a one-stop service to save the investors from corruption and inordinate delays, but that failed to make any difference. In fact, businessmen would sarcastically refer to it as the ‘full-stop service’.

In 2015 BEZA proposed a one-stop service law and in February 2018 the One-Stop Service Act was passed. It stated that if any official failed to deliver the relevant service within the specified time, this amounted to breach of conduct.
The one-stop service applies also to Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority and the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA). BIDA started up its one-stop portal from 24 February last year, now offering 18 services online.

BEZA’s one-stop service centre is located in the BEZA head office in the Abdul Monem Business Centre on Bir Uttam CR Dutta Road in Dhaka. The system was set up with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the department of environment and the fire service and civil defence also serve at the BEZA one-stop service centre.

Anyone interested in investing in the economic zone will now get service online for project approval (7 days), import and export permission (1 day), visa recommendation (2 days), work permit (9 days), visa assistance, project registration (7 days), local sales permission (2 days), local purchase permission (1 day), trade licence (3 days), land utilization planning (7 days) and permission to start commercial production.

Further services to be available from the end of this month and middle of next month include Tax Identification Number or TIN (1 day), name clearance or registration (1 day), occupancy certificate, 8 services regarding environmental clearance (15 to 30 days) and factory layout plan approval (10 days). By the end of February, investors will be able to avail 27 services online.

According to BEZA, while the online service official began in October, it actually had been running from before that. So far 5,296 import permits, 942 export permits, 317 visa recommendations, 118 work permits, 51 project approvals and 7 project registrations have been provided online.

BEZA is to provide 125 services in 27 categories. Of this 37 are to be provided by BEZA itself, the rest are by around 20 other organisations. This will require those organisations to build up their capacity, to be linked with the one-stop service centre and to undergo mindset changes. BEZA chairman Paban Chowdhury said, not all investors need the same services. The services which are most commonly and most frequently needed will be available at the one-stop service centre. Bangladesh ranks 168 among 189 countries in the World Bank’s ease of doing business index. Last year Bangladesh scaled up 8 notches. Pakistan went up by 28 to reach 108 in rank. Most of the competitors are ahead of Bangladesh.

Former president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Abul Kasem Khan said, “OSS is a very good initiative. It will cut down on corruption and business costs. But we have been hearing about one-stop service for two years now. All services must be brought under this umbrella immediately. The organisations which are still not under this must now be included.”

* This report appeared in the print edition of Prothom Alo and has been translated by Ayesha Kabir