Maldives keen to import essentials, pharma items, says Tofail

The Maldives will benefit if it imports Bangladeshi products like pharmaceutical items and rice, said commerce minister Tofail Ahmed yesterday.
“Bangladesh has already exported 50,000 tonnes of rice to Sri Lanka. As many as 10,000 tonnes have been sent to Nepal as a grant. The Maldives is a friendly country of Bangladesh. Around 67,000 Bangladeshi nationals are now staying there,” he told reporters after a meeting with the Maldives’s ambassador to Bangladesh, Dr Mohamed Asim, at the Secretariat.
At least 60 Bangladeshi physicians are providing healthcare services in the Maldives, the commerce minister said, adding that many students from the Maldives are studying in different universities and medical colleges in Bangladesh.
He also said that Bangladesh had exported goods worth USD 5.64 million to the Maldives in the last fiscal year, while Bangladesh had imported goods worth USD 1.16 million from that country. Both the countries would benefit if the present level of trade is increased, he observed.
“Bangladesh is capable of exporting international standard pharmaceutical items at lower prices compared to other countries. The World Trade Organization has increased the duration of TRIPS till 2033. Bangladesh is now exporting pharmaceutical items to 107 countries across the world. Therefore, the Maldives can avail this opportunity,” the commerce minister said.
The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is administered by the WTO.
The Maldives’s ambassador expressed his country’s interest in importing sand from Bangladesh. Referring to the ambassador, the commerce minister said the Maldives is also interested in importing essential items from Bangladesh. The ambassador has expressed his appreciation of Bangladeshi pharmaceutical products, the minister said, adding that the Maldives would import a huge quantity of pharmaceutical items from Bangladesh in the days to come. There is also massive demand for electronic items, toiletries, medicines, cookery items, dry food, clothes, readymade baby items, soap, ornaments, plastic items and leather.

Maldives keen to import essentials, pharma items, says Tofail

The Maldives will benefit if it imports Bangladeshi products like pharmaceutical items and rice, said commerce minister Tofail Ahmed yesterday. Bangladesh has already exported 50,000 tonnes of rice to Sri Lanka. As many as 10,000 tonnes have been sent to Nepal as a grant. The Maldives is a friendly country of Bangladesh. Around 67,000 Bangladeshi nationals are now staying there, he told reporters after a meeting with the Maldivess ambassador to Bangladesh, Dr Mohamed Asim, at the Secretariat. At least 60 Bangladeshi physicians are providing healthcare services in the Maldives, the commerce minister said, adding that many students from the Maldives are studying in different universities and medical colleges in Bangladesh. He also said that Bangladesh had exported goods worth USD 5.64 million to the Maldives in the last fiscal year, while Bangladesh had imported goods worth USD 1.16 million from that country. Both the countries would benefit if the present level of trade is increased, he observed. Bangladesh is capable of exporting international standard pharmaceutical items at lower prices compared to other countries. The World Trade Organization has increased the duration of TRIPS till 2033. Bangladesh is now exporting pharmaceutical items to 107 countries across the world. Therefore, the Maldives can avail this opportunity, the commerce minister said. The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is administered by the WTO. The Maldivess ambassador expressed his countrys interest in importing sand from Bangladesh. Referring to the ambassador, the commerce minister said the Maldives is also interested in importing essential items from Bangladesh. The ambassador has expressed his appreciation of Bangladeshi pharmaceutical products, the minister said, adding that the Maldives would import a huge quantity of pharmaceutical items from Bangladesh in the days to come. There is also massive demand for electronic items, toiletries, medicines, cookery items, dry food, clothes, readymade baby items, soap, ornaments, plastic items and leather.