Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) Centre
Dhaka, Bangladesh
December 14-15, 2004

The two-day series of roundtables were organized by the Foreign Investment Advisory Service (FIAS), a joint facility of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI). A key objective of these roundtables was to share basic principles and international best practices, especially from Asia, in improving the business environment through regulatory reform at a national level. Another goal was to upgrade industrial and economic zone strategies at national and local levels.

The roundtables were funded by the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID), the South Asia Enterprise Development Facility (SEDF) of IFC, and FIAS. Technical advice and support was provided by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the European Commission (EC).

The roundtables were hosted by Dr. Kamaluddin Siddiqui, Principle Secretary to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, and chaired by Farooq Sobhan, former Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh and President of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute. More than 100 people from Bangladesh attended these roundtables, representing a cross-section of officials from government, policy framers, academia, the private sector, and export promotion zones (EPZs). Experts from India, Jordan, Mauritius, United Arab Emirates, and the United States identified examples of successful regulatory models and economic zones in various parts of the world, and illustrated common problems and reasons for failures elsewhere.

The ideas advocated at the roundtables were to receive long-term implementation assistance as part of a coordinated donor-funded post-MFA strategy. A key focus of the discussion was how lessons of experience from successful regulatory reform cases could be adapted to local conditions and priorities. The discussions also focused on how, based on international best practice, the Bangladeshi economic zone regime could be redesigned to act as a catalyst rather than a substitute for overall nationwide regulatory reform.

Agenda ( 34KB). A Summary and Proposed Action Plan ( 120KB) has also been prepared.

Inaugural Session

Introduction & Objectives ( 86KB)

Introductory Remarks on behalf of the Government of Japan ( 85KB)
Matsushiro Horiguchi, Ambassador of Japan

Introductory Remarks on behalf of The World Bank Group ( 84KB)
Anil Sinha, General Manager, SEDF

Introductory Remarks on behalf of the Government of U.K. ( 85KB)
Anwar Chowdhury, British High Commissioner

Overview of RISE/PSDP ( 89KB)
Syed Akhtar Mahmood, Senior Private Sector Development Specialist, The World Bank Group

Introductory Remarks ( 96KB)
Morshed Khan, Foreign Minister, Government of Bangladesh (Chief Guest)

Concluding Remarks ( 81KB)
Kamal Siddiqui, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office, Government of Bangladesh


Topic 1: Link Between SEZs and Streamlined Domestic Policies
Jean-Paul Gauthier, FIAS (Global)
Regulatory Reform and Special Economic Zones, Presentation ( 195KB)
Free Zones: Performance, Lessons Learned and Implications for Zone Development, Paper ( 124KB)

Topic 2: Public Sector Capacity-Building for Enhanced Regulation
Jonathan Smith, Advisor, Nathan Association, Aqaba Zone Economic Mobilization (AZEM) Project (Jordan)
Public Sector Capacity Building for Enhanced Regulation, Presentation ( 194KB)
Public Sector Capacity-Building for Enhanced Regulation, Paper ( 178KB)

Topic 3: South Asian Regulatory Reform & e-Governance Case Study
Subhash Bhatnagar, Professor, IIM Ahmedabad (India)
E-Government: A Tool for Promoting Investment and Export Growth, Presentation ( 212KB)
South Asia Regulatory Reform and E-Governance, Paper ( 80KB)

Topic 4: Case Studies in Regulatory Reform, Regulatory Impact Assessment
Cesar Cordova, Director, Jacobs & Associates (U.S.A.)
RIA as a Tool to Improve Regulatory Environment: Case Studies in Regulatory Reform & Regulatory Impact Assessment, Presentation ( 128KB)
RIA as a Tool to Improve Regulatory Environment, and its Application to Bangladesh, Paper ( 109KB)

Synopsis of Presentations of Roundtable 1, Presentation ( 85KB)
Samir Stewart, FIAS

Inaugural Session

Opening Remarks on Roundtable 2 ( 88KB)
Christine Wallich, The World Bank

Working Together to Enhance Competitiveness, Presentation ( 66KB)
Frank Matsaert, Enterprise Development Advisor, UK Department of International Development (DFID)

Review of Roundtable 1 ( 81KB)
Kamal Siddiqui, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office, Government of Bangladesh

Topic 1: Global Experience and Best Practices in SEZs
James Crittle, South Asia Regional Program Coordinator, FIAS (Global)
Special Economic Zones: Global Experience and Best Practices, Presentation ( 289KB)

Topic 2: Best Practices in Public-Private Free Zones
Raj Makoond, Director, Joint Economic Council (Mauritius)
Best Practices in Public Free Zones: The Mauritian Free Zone Model, Presentation ( 104KB)
Best Practices in Public Free Zones: The Mauritian Free Zone Model, Paper ( 34KB)

Topic 3: Developer Panel Perspectives on Requirements for a Private or Public-Private SEZ
Santosh Hejmadi, Director (Marketing), Dubai Technology & Media Free Zone (UAE)
Best Practices in Public Free Zones: Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone, United Arab Emirates, Presentation ( 328KB)
Best Practices in Public Free Zones: The UAE Free Zone Model and its Economic Impact, Paper ( 89KB)

Anwar Harahsheh, Advisor, Nathan Associates, Aqaba Zone Economic Mobilization (AZEM) Project (Jordan)
Jordan Aqaba Special Economic Zone: Building a Special Economic Zone The Aqaba Experience, Presentation ( 225KB)
Public-Private Free Zones: Policy, Institutions, and Physical Characteristics, Paper ( 81KB)

Topic 4: Lessons Learned in South Asian/South East Asian SEZ Implementation
Rajendra Singh, Executive Chairman, SKIL, Maha Mumbai SEZ (India)
Mumbai Integrated Special Economic Zone: Lessons Learnt in South Asian Free Zone Implementation, Presentation ( 387KB)
Lessons Learned in South Asian Free Zone Implementation, Paper ( 88KB)

Topic 5: Evolving Business Needs and Trends in Bangladeshi Free Zones
Hideki Kagohashi, JICA Consultant
Evolving Business Needs and Trends in Bangladesh towards New Zoning Strategy: Voices from the Field, Presentation ( 1.08MB)

Brig Gen Md. Zakir Hossain (Retired), Executive Chairman, BEPZA
Evolving Business Needs & Trends in Bangladeshi Free Zones: Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA), Presentation ( 351KB)

Synopsis of Presentations of Roundtable 2, Presentation ( 99KB)
Samir Stewart, FIAS