Doubts over meeting Padma Bridge construction deadline

The construction work of the Padma Bridge may not be complete by the extended deadline of November 2018, according to a recent government monitoring report. In the report, the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) of the Ministry of Planning said it ‘seems’ the project will finish eight months behind even after the deadline extension. The main construction of the bridge started in November 2014 following many complexities relating to funding and site selections. The river training and construction of link roads began earlier. In the first revision, the project was extended up to the end of 2015, and in the second revision, the target to finish the work was set at November 2018 with a total estimated cost of around Tk 288 billion. The first span between two piers of the bridge was installed on September 30.

Source: https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/trade/doubts-over-meeting-padma-bridge-construction-deadline-1511765338

513 RMG factories inspected under national initiative face closure

Some 513 or one-third of the readymade garment (RMG) factories inspected under the national initiative (NI) have faced closure as they might have failed to compete in the market and comply with the required standards, including safety compliance, officials said. Under the NI, some 1,549 garment factories, which remained outside the purview of Accord and Alliance inspections, have been inspected for structural, fire and electrical integrity under a joint initiative by the government and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Source: https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/economy/513-rmg-factories-inspected-under-national-initiative-face-closure-1511839379

BTRC to allow a subscriber to own maximum 15 SIMs

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission is set to allow a mobile subscriber to own up to fifteen SIMs cards instead of existing five SIM or RIM cards against a NID number, The limit would be applicable for both pre-paid and post-paid customers. Corporate customers, however, will get exemption from the regulatory embargo as imposition of such ceiling might create problem for their business. Since the capping on SIM registration against per NID came into force on 29 September, registration of almost half of the prepaid SIM have been rejected on the ground as almost all the SIM cards of a household were registered by one person, resulting in non-implementation of the directive. On December 16, 2016, verification of SIM cards with the biometric method started in the country and the process was completed on May 31, 2017. Before the commencement of verification, in an initial assessment of one hundred thousand SIMs of all six mobile operators, the government found that 75 % of the SIM cards had faulty registrations

Source: http://www.newagebd.net/article/29301/btrc-to-allow-a-subscriber-to-own-maximum-15-sims

Zaheen Spinning develops power capacity

Zaheen Spinning has installed an electric substation having capacity of 1,000KW/1MW to run their company’s operation without interruption. According to a disclosure published on DSE (Dhaka Stock Exchange) website, the Zaheen Spinning has set up a 33/11/0.415KV, 4MVA electric substation for sanctioned load of 3,000KW/3MW with a captive capacity of 1,000KW/1MW. The company’s disclosure also said the installation of Bus Bar Trunking (BBT) System in the said Electric Substation has also been completed. The board of directors of the company has decided to run the mill by electricity from December 18, 2017 subject to availability of power supply by REB which will reduce the risk of interruption in production. The company recently opened a new unit and it will also come under the coverage of electric substation.

Source: http://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/stock-corporate/zaheen-spinning-develops-power-capacity-1511797099

National Tubes to set up galvanizing plant

The board of directors of National Tubes has decided to establish a galvanizing plant to provide service of galvanizing for different types of towers. The state-run engineering sector company will establish the galvanising plant in eight mills of National Tubes for Towers, Fittings and I-Beam of PDB, REB, DESA and DESCO and to provide service of galvanizing for different types of towers for mobile companies. The company expects approximately BDT 70 million per year will be attainable by galvanizing.

Source: http://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/stock-corporate/national-tubes-to-set-up-galvanising-plant-1511797751

Compliant firms to get fast customs clearance

Customs authorities are set to provide compliant and trusted businesses a status that would help them fast-track their import and export consignments under a dedicated channel, officials said. The Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) status will give scope to trustworthy firms to bring import consignments to their factory premises with minimal checks at ports, said a senior official of the National Board of Revenue. Likewise, exporters with the status of AEO will be able to ship their consignments in the fastest possible time. The AEO programme is expected to kick off on a pilot basis by December and on a full-fledged basis from next year, said the first secretary for customs modernization and international affairs at the NBR. AEO status is an internationally recognized quality mark that indicates the business’s role in the international supply chain to be secure, and that their customs controls and procedures are efficient and compliant. The World Customs Organization has introduced the system with the view to enhancing the security of the international supply chain and facilitating faster trade. Manufacturers, importers, exporters, carriers, clearing and forwarding agents, warehouse keepers and distributors will be eligible for the status subject to fulfilling some conditions. AEOs will be able to save time and cost because of quicker clearance of export and import goods and the new system will help them take their goods to consumers very quickly. Most importantly, if a country has mutual recognition arrangements with other countries, its AEOs will enjoy similar benefits in those countries.

Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/business/compliant-firms-get-fast-customs-clearance-1497439

Unleashing the power of IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) is changing the objects surrounding us significantly to enrich our lives. From household appliances to industrial machines, the IoT is bringing more ‘things’ into the digital fold every day. Collectively, this is likely to make the IoT a multi-trillion dollar industry in the near future. According to a global survey conducted by PwC, business leaders worldwide are investing in building their IoT capabilities significantly. The IoT represents the convergence of advances in miniaturisation, wireless connectivity, increased data storage capacity, increased battery life, powerful solar cells and sensors. Sensors detect and measure changes in position, temperature, light, etc., and they are necessary to turn billions of objects into data-generating ‘things’ that can report on their status, and, in some cases, interact with their environment.

Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/business/unleashing-the-power-iot-1497397

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