A bill titled ‘One Stop Services Bill, 2017’ was placed in Parliament yesterday aiming to attract more local and foreign investment in the country, reports UNB.  Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, who is in charge of the Prime Minister’s Office in the House, placed the bill and it was sent to the respective parliamentary standing committee for scrutiny. The committee was asked to submit its report within 15 days.

Under the proposed law, a central one stop service authority comprising four authorities namely Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority and Bangladesh High-tech Park Authority will work through coordination among themselves.

Some 27 types of services, including 16 common services like trade licence, visa assistance, electricity, gas, water and telephone services would be provided from proposed body to lessen the sufferings of investors.

The officials who fail to comply with rules and ensure services within the fixed time will be held responsible for misconduct and they will be punished for that.

Meanwhile, ‘The Seeds Bill, 2017’ was placed in the Parliament yesterday to make the existing law more time-befitting.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury placed the Bill in the Parliament. It was subsequently sent to the respective scrutiny committee for further examination. The committee was asked to submit its report within 30 days.

According to the Bill, a 25-member National Seed Board will be constituted with the Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture as its Chairman, while Director General (Seed Wing) under the Ministry of Agriculture will be its member Secretary.

It will mainly focus on seed control as well as control of seed quality. There will be a Seed Certification Agency that will give permission and licence for seed dealership. Besides, there will be a post like ‘Seed Inspector’ who will make visits and inspect seed quality and dealership license. Creation of any obstacle by any seed dealer will be considered a punishable offence.

For such offences, the dealer or person concerned will be sentenced to three months’ imprisonment or be fined Tk 50,000 or both.

The punishment will double in the case of repetition of the offence.