Opinion
Separation of Commerce from Industry - a Good Move
Combining of the responsibility of commerce and industry under one minister by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was not conducive to good governance, nor was the decision by erstwhile President Ershad to separate EPZ, BOI and Privatization Board from the Ministry of Industry. Perhaps political expediency in one case, and the concept that concentration of power with the highest authority of the government brings more efficiency, in the other, distorted the logical administrative sequence essential for goof governance. Divesting Ministry of Industry of its inherent and natural responsibility of promotion of investment and disinvestment left it only with the residual powers of supervision of three public sector agencies. No wonder, the ministry has very little to boast of its achievement since the separation and to the minister, with the portfolio of commerce and industry, commerce provided a more challenging platform and got most of his attention.
Sheikh Hasina should take a leaf out of her illustrious father's administration where the Ministry of Industry with two separate divisions under one minister, namely, Syed Nazrul Islam, combined the functions of nationalized industries as well as promotion of new investment and other related policy issues. Attachment with the PM's office may bring greater glory to the functionaries, but deprive them of the day to day interaction with their political boss essential for making their task more productive. The natural habitat of EPZ, BOI and the Privatization Board is the Ministry of Industry. This is where they should be placed and their respective heads, according to their status, reporting to the minister or the secretary as the case may be.
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