Business Promotion Council (BPC)

Business Promotion Council (BPC)

Business Promotion Council (BPC) is a product specific sector promotion council with a mandate for export diversification - represented by government organizations and trade associations having immediate stake on the identified sector.

It was a belief that, Export diversification can be achieved if enterprises are competitive in the international market. But to increase competitiveness enterprises need to be able to produce the appropriate product within right price, using the appropriate technology and should be compliant to the requirements of the buyers. In short the price-quality mix has to have an edge against another international supplier. Given that most of the export oriented industries in Bangladesh falls under the category of infant sector, an intensive and targeted support is required for the enterprises to achieve the required competency. The concept of BPC emerged on this context and it was felt that public private partnership would be the key to sustaining access to bundled services required to support export oriented industries. With this mission, the ICT Business Promotion Council (I-BPC) was launched in 2002. Subsequently, four more BPCs have been formed over the last 7 years which are active in the Leather, Fisheries, Light Engineering, Medicinal Plant and Herbal Products subsectors. To ensure better coordination and seamless operations the Businesses Promotion Council has been organized such a way to be the administrative body for all individual councils. Besides coordination and supervision of the sector specific councils, BPC handles administrative operations which include Budget, Procurement, Accounts, Recruitment, Office rentals & common facilities, utility services and such.

Background of the creation of BPC:

Export diversification can be achieved if enterprises are competitive in the international market. But to increase competitiveness, enterprises need to be able to produce the appropriate product within right price, using the appropriate technology and should be compliant to the requirements of the buyers. In short, the price-quality mix has to have an edge against another international supplier. Since most of the export oriented industries in Bangladesh, other than readymade garments, falls under the category of infant industries, an intensive and targeted support was required for them to achieve the required competency. The concept of BPC emerged on this context. The prime objective behind the creation of BPC was to establish a platform of public-private partnership towards attaining efficiency and productivity for these under-performing sectors.

Business Promotion Council came into existence as a consequence of the Bangladesh Export Diversification Project (BDXDP) and of the provision for business promotion councils in the Export Policy 2003-2006. The first one, the ICT Business Promotion Council (IBPC) was launched in 2002. Subsequently, five more BPCs have been formed over the last 9 years. These include- Leather Sector Business Promotion Council (LSBPC), Fisheries Products Business Promotion Council (FPBPC), Light Engineering Products Business Promotion Council (LEPBPC), Medicinal Plant and Herbal Products Business Promotion Council (MPHPBPC), and Agro Products Business Promotion Council (APBPC).

All these six sector BPCs works under the umbrella of a central Business Promotion Council. The central BPC has been organized in such a way so that it can act as the apex administrative and coordinating body for these six individual sector councils with a view to ensuring better coordination and seamless operations. Besides coordination and supervision of sector specific councils, the central BPC also handles administrative operations which include budget, procurement, accounts and finance, recruitment, office rentals, common facilities, and utility services etc.

The BPC for the agro products sector has only recently been created, and now awaits incorporation under the Joint Stock Companies. The government also has plans to establish more individual sector councils especially in the area of pharmaceutical products, poultry products etc.