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fiscal year at $17.6 billion, which is 13 percent higher than that
of the previous year. The commerce ministry revealed the figure
delaying three months. The export target was supposed to be announced
in July, the first month of the new fiscal year. The delay was caused
due to unavailability of data from different government departments
and agencies, said Joint Secretary to the ministry Monoj Kumar Dhar
after a post-meeting briefing at the secretariat. He said Bangladesh
earned $15.18 billion last fiscal year from exports against the
target of $16.29 billion, marking a 4.5 percent shortfall. "The
export target for the current fiscal year is not ambitious. It is
rational as the whole world is showing signs of recovery from
recession," Dhar said. He said the government has set the target
analysing the global recession. Knitwear export target has been set at
41.46 percent, while 38 percent for woven garment products and the
rest for other products, the ministry official said. "The present
export trend indicates that it is possible to achieve the target,"
Dhar said. He said exports of knitwear, woven garment, terry towel,
handicrafts, textile fabrics, chemical products, footwear products,
home textile, computer services and agricultural products increased
in fiscal 2008-09 compared to the previous year. On the downside,
exports of tea, raw jute, jute goods, electronics, leather, ceramics
and frozen foods declined year-on-year, Dhar said. Vice Chairman of
Export Promotion Bureau ( EPB) Mohammad Shahabullah said although all
the missions abroad could not achieve the target separately, the
average achievement was satisfactory. At present, there are 44
overseas missions. Commerce Minister Faruk Khan at the meeting with
exporters, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, traders and leaders of
different trade bodies and government high- ups discussed the export
target for the current year.
