Planning Minister Abdul Mannan urged the banks to make the working environment and transactions easier for freelancers. The minister said, we need to look at how to make the banking channel easier to increase remittance flow and ensure a balanced environment for freelancers. Freelancers can play an important role in boosting dollar reserves since remittance flow to the country have declined in recent times.
On the other hand, the Managing Director of Eastern Bank Limited, Ali Reza Iftekhar, believes that it is possible to bring remittances of 10 billion dollars in the next 5 years and 25 billion dollars in 2040 through freelancers. However, he expects necessary government support for this. He further said, freelancers can play a big role in solving the foreign exchange crisis. Someday, their income will be equal to the income from the apparel industry.
They expressed such optimism at a seminar held at the EBL head office on Gulshan Avenue on Sunday while participating in the panel discussion titled ‘Freelancing: Moving Towards a Smart Bangladesh’. The event was chaired by the BFDS President Tanjiba Rahman while the ICT Division Additional Secretary Mostafa Kamal said that, if money can be sent through banking channels, the income of freelancers will further increase. At the same time freelancers also need to study from primary level to improve their skills.
The Additional Secretary of Commerce Ministry Abdur Rahim Khan said that, to create a smart Bangladesh, skilled manpower with technical knowledge should be developed. We are also trying to protect the rights of freelancers and reduce and simplify the cost of doing business.
EBL Additional Managing Director and Head of Corporate Banking Ahmed Shaheen, Deputy Managing Director and Head of Retail and SME Banking M Khorshed Anwar along with BFDA executive committee members were present on the occasion among others.
