TPW Desk: Draft policy on ‘National Logistics Policy 2024’ has been approved to facilitate export and supply of goods to local markets. This approval was given in the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday (April 8) morning.

Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain gave this information in a briefing at the Secretariat after the meeting. He said that policies have been made to ensure that the journey of export products from the place of production to reaching the customer is seamless. There is some logistics infrastructure. Among them, we have become road dependent for our communication infrastructure. It has been asked to do whatever it takes to increase reliance on railways and waterways.

Apart from this, there will be GPS tracking and connectivity hub, i.e. a connectivity hub at a specific location, warehouse for supply of goods and arrangements to ensure that goods do not rot. The cabinet secretary also said that the free movement of goods for export or local market has been mentioned in this law.

He said, all the related policies have been asked to be revised and made business friendly. Which will be PPP, which government will invest, that list is also there. There are 106 types of occupations, there are also 52 categories of training. There is also a provision for the minimum number of hours of training.

Mahbub Hossain said, logistics management has been asked to be environmentally friendly. Safety and security should be of international standards. PPP, public and private investments are specifically mentioned.

Giving an example, he said, road transport and communication will be through government and PPP. Aircraft and aviation will be the same. There will be public, private and PPP in the case of sea services. Specifically, inland shipping services will include public, private and PPP. Ride sharing, clearance and forwarding services will be completely private. Thus twenty one services are mentioned and how they are to be implemented.

He also said that no obstacle can be created anywhere in the logistics channel. That is, the logistics cost should be reduced. This will reduce the cost of exports by 19 percent. And whatever help is needed to do that, that support will be given. The Act is designed to reduce costs and provide timely services.