Industrial workers' wages, salaries to be paid before Eid: Minister

SYLHET, Feb 28: Minister for Textiles and Jute and Industries Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said that the outstanding wages and salaries of industrial workers would be paid before Eid.

He also said that taxes would not be increased in the private sector.

In response to a question from journalists on Saturday regarding a comment by the Finance Minister on increasing taxes, the Commerce Minister said the Finance Minister's statement was wrongly reported in the media.

The tax-GDP ratio in Bangladesh is very low. It is much higher in all neighbouring countries.

The minister pointed out that a letter had been sent to the European Union as an advance preparation for a free trade agreement to face the challenges after the LDC. Initiatives for free trade agreements with Australia, Canada and the UK will be taken step by step.

He was talking to reporters after exchanging views with administration officials at the Circuit House in Sylhet on Saturday afternoon.

At the same time, Minister for Expatriates' Welfare, Labour and Employment Ariful Haque Chowdhury said that the government was working to open various closed labour markets outside the country. The benefits will be seen within the next month. The government is working to ensure that passports and police clearances of Bangladeshis hoping to immigrate to Spain reach them on time.

Besides, Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie said that the government was working on dredging rivers and canals and building haor protection embankments ahead of the next monsoon season. No corruption would be allowed in this work. "We are working with zero tolerance. Making the country corruption-free is a tough challenge for the government."

After the exchange of views, the commerce minister and the water resources minister inspected the erosion-hit Surma and Chengerkhal rivers in Mogalgaon area of Sylhet Sadar upazila.

forsylhet@gmail.com