$ 5b export goal links to incentive for IT sector

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury suggests

With the slogan ‘Future in motion’, Bangladesh’s largest private sector expo “BASIS Softexpo 2017” has begun yesterday at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).

Organised by Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), leading trade body of the sector, the four-day event was inaugurated by Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, Speaker of the National Parliament.
In her chief guests’ speech Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury suggested that incentive to the information technology sector would help to achieve US$ 5 billion from the IT-enabled service (ITES) export. 
Terming software industry as a specialised industry, the Speaker said that the sector has attained remarkable progress following right and timely decision of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal, who attended the program as special guest said the value of global software market is around US$ 3 trillion. 
“As apex trade body of ITES sector, BASIS has been working together with government to expand the footprints of local software firms in abroad. We prefer Bangladeshi software firms in most of the public procurement. Planning Ministry will support BASIS at all square to lead the local tech outlets.”
State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak said government is working together with private 
sector to create a business-friendly environment for the technology sector to achieve the milestone of US$ 1 billion revenue from ITES export by 2018. “Around 10 lakh people will be engaged in the sector by 2021. The technology sector will go forward in joint effort by public-private partnership.”
He said that the government is ready to give incentive in the sector to promote the industry. Tax incentive has been given in the sector up to 2024. The young entrepreneurs will lead the way to achieve the US$ 5 billion export by 2021.
About the ITES export BASIS President Mustafa Jabbar said there is a gap in the C-Form of Bangladesh bank which has no category for IT exports. 
“We have shortcomings in our reporting policy. Three government offices have three different pieces of information due to the absence of ‘ITES’ and ‘Outsourcing’ categories in the C-form of Bangladesh Bank. EPB follows these flawed data.”
BASIS will announce the accurate data regarding the outsourcing of ITES service by the end of this year.
SoftExpo’s platinum sponsor Microsoft Bangladesh Managing Director and BASIS Director Sonia Bashir Kabir said that world’s largest 
software firm Microsoft stepped in Bangladesh as private limited company to associate in expansion of local software.
“A code learning session for children will be organized as a part of its initiative to introduce technology in education. Some 400 school students will get knowledge on programme coding, basics of software development.”
She said that Microsoft has taken initiative with Access to Information Programme (A2I) under Prime Minister’s Office to skill up women entrepreneurs of Union Digital Centres across the country as they can initiate own business related to technology.
BASIS SoftExpo 2017 Convenor & Director of BASIS Syed Almas Kabir said, “The SoftExpo is organised to to promote the local software firms as well as demonstrating their capacity.”
He said that one of the main purpose of the expo is to create a bridge between the businesses and IT service providers. 
Over 140 local firms are participating in the expo to showcase their products and innovation before the local banks, government, telecom operators, business organizations, foreign companies as well as IT users. 
The exhibition area has been divided into four separate zones—Business Software Zone, ITES and BPO Zone, Mobile Innovation Zone and e-Commerce Zone.

$ 5b export goal links to incentive for IT sector

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury suggests

With the slogan Future in motion, Bangladeshs largest private sector expo BASIS Softexpo 2017 has begun yesterday at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC). Organised by Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), leading trade body of the sector, the four-day event was inaugurated by Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, Speaker of the National Parliament. In her chief guests speech Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury suggested that incentive to the information technology sector would help to achieve US$ 5 billion from the IT-enabled service (ITES) export. Terming software industry as a specialised industry, the Speaker said that the sector has attained remarkable progress following right and timely decision of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal, who attended the program as special guest said the value of global software market is around US$ 3 trillion. As apex trade body of ITES sector, BASIS has been working together with government to expand the footprints of local software firms in abroad. We prefer Bangladeshi software firms in most of the public procurement. Planning Ministry will support BASIS at all square to lead the local tech outlets. State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak said government is working together with private sector to create a business-friendly environment for the technology sector to achieve the milestone of US$ 1 billion revenue from ITES export by 2018. Around 10 lakh people will be engaged in the sector by 2021. The technology sector will go forward in joint effort by public-private partnership. He said that the government is ready to give incentive in the sector to promote the industry. Tax incentive has been given in the sector up to 2024. The young entrepreneurs will lead the way to achieve the US$ 5 billion export by 2021. About the ITES export BASIS President Mustafa Jabbar said there is a gap in the C-Form of Bangladesh bank which has no category for IT exports. We have shortcomings in our reporting policy. Three government offices have three different pieces of information due to the absence of ITES and Outsourcing categories in the C-form of Bangladesh Bank. EPB follows these flawed data. BASIS will announce the accurate data regarding the outsourcing of ITES service by the end of this year. SoftExpos platinum sponsor Microsoft Bangladesh Managing Director and BASIS Director Sonia Bashir Kabir said that worlds largest software firm Microsoft stepped in Bangladesh as private limited company to associate in expansion of local software. A code learning session for children will be organized as a part of its initiative to introduce technology in education. Some 400 school students will get knowledge on programme coding, basics of software development. She said that Microsoft has taken initiative with Access to Information Programme (A2I) under Prime Ministers Office to skill up women entrepreneurs of Union Digital Centres across the country as they can initiate own business related to technology. BASIS SoftExpo 2017 Convenor Director of BASIS Syed Almas Kabir said, The SoftExpo is organised to to promote the local software firms as well as demonstrating their capacity. He said that one of the main purpose of the expo is to create a bridge between the businesses and IT service providers. Over 140 local firms are participating in the expo to showcase their products and innovation before the local banks, government, telecom operators, business organizations, foreign companies as well as IT users. The exhibition area has been divided into four separate zonesBusiness Software Zone, ITES and BPO Zone, Mobile Innovation Zone and e-Commerce Zone.