Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) today demanded tax holiday facility for the cottage, micro, small and medium enterprises (CMSMEs) for 10 years as those units have been facing a crisis during the pandemic.

The central bank today lowered charges on the deposits and loans, bringing an end to the excessive fees and commissions levied by many banks on customers.

State-run listed company Jamuna Oil has teamed up with Bashundhara LP Gas Ltd to increase the sales of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) around the country.

Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (Toab) today demanded reopening of tourist spots at half capacity and in compliance with health safety measures to save several lakh people involved in the sector, saying it incurred losses equalling Tk 20,000 crore in the last year due to the pandemic.

Building a digital database of the poor is crucial for bringing the new and urban poor under social safety net programmes as the pandemic pushed many people, especially those in urban areas, into poverty, an economics professor told a webinar yesterday.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal yesterday refused to accept data on the new poor released earlier through surveys conducted by private research organisations to measure the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic-induced income losses.

Female borrowers would get at least 25 per cent of the stimulus fund dedicated to the farmers, underprivileged women, professionals, and micro-enterprises, said the central bank yesterday.

A fresh stimulus package of at least Tk 20,000 crore is needed specifically for the survival and revival of cottage and micro enterprises (CMEs) as those are most vulnerable to the Covid-19 fallout, said Md Jashim Uddin, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).

The cut in source tax in the proposed budget may not bring down the price of steel, meaning the cost of infrastructure and construction projects is unlikely to decline, manufacturers say.

The 5 per cent regulatory duty imposed on the import of rapeseed may cause the price of mustard oil to shoot up and go beyond the purchasing power of consumers, millers said.

The stock price of almost all general insurance companies has more than doubled over the past year riding on speculation, putting the whole market at risk.

India’s retail inflation likely rose last month after a three-month low in April, lifted by higher food and energy prices, but stayed within the Reserve Bank of India’s target range for the sixth consecutive month, a Reuters poll found.

Top Glove Corp Bhd, the subject of a US import ban over concerns about forced labour, is waiting for customs authorities there to verify remedial action it has taken on workers’ recruitment fees, the Malaysian firm said on Wednesday.

Private equity investments in India rose 38 per cent to hit a record high of $62.2 billion in 2020 despite uncertainty caused by the coronavirus crisis, a private equity report showed on Wednesday.

Logistics and warehouse companies are accelerating expansion plans in southeastern Europe where business is expected to boom as the pandemic spurs manufacturers to relocate operations close to main markets.

Mangoes have been available at various markets across Chapainawabganj for some time now but sales have only just started to pick up in the face of nationwide restrictions on public movement aimed at curbing the recent resurgence of Covid-19.

Bangladesh’s exports to China, the world’s second biggest economy, will grow to $25 billion if local suppliers can grab an additional 1 per cent share of the Chinese market by 2030, according to a study released yesterday.

Dhaka Bank has mobilised foreign funds amounting to $40 million at a cheap interest rate for Chandpur Power Generations.

Bangladesh Bank today asked banks to disburse among women at least 25 per cent of the Tk 3,000 crore stimulus fund, which is dedicated to farmers, underprivileged women, professionals and micro enterprises.

Turnover at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) hit a decade-high today thanks mainly to the higher participation of buoyant investors.