Ctg port inefficiency, traffic congestions key challenges for supply chain mgmt

Experts say at a seminar

Experts on Saturday identified inefficiency of Chattogram port, traffic congestions on roads and highways and lack of human resources as the key challenges for supply chain management in Bangladesh.

At a seminar on ‘Challenges and Prospect of Supply Chain Management in Bangladesh’, they urged the government to address the disruptions and lacking and to formulate unique rules and regulations for business to reduce the cost of doing business.They also urged the government to introduce supply chain management in the national curriculum considering future economic development.

Non-bank financial institution IPDC Finance Limited and Bangla daily Bonik Barta jointly organised the seminar at the Sonargaon Hotel in the capital, Dhaka.

‘Bangladesh’s economy is moving fast and challenge will be there but question is how fast we can remove the barriers. Global supply chain is moving fast and if we fail to address our disruption, country’s economic growth will be stalled,’ said Naquib Khan, president of Bangladesh Supply Chain Management Society.

Naquib said that inefficiency of Chattogram port, traffic congestions in Dhaka and on Dhaka-Chattogram road and lack of human resources were the main challenges for supply chain management in the country. 

He emphasised the adoption of latest technology saying that a well-managed supply chain could create huge opportunity in the area of information technology and e-commerce. Naquib said that multinational companies were playing important role in making supply chain management more vibrant while local entrepreneurs just started practicing the management.

‘We need to develop integrated supply chain management processes more efficiently and effectively to achieve competitive advantage,’ he added.

Mominul Islam, managing director of IPDC Finance, said that country’s economy developed significantly over the last 10 years with the advantage of low-cost labour.

‘I think country’s economy is at a critical phase now and the advantage of cheap labour will not last long. We have to increase productivity and supply chain management can be the next level of economic development,’ he said.

Imtiaz Uddin Chowdhury, head of supply chain of BSRM Group, urged the government to address supply chain disruptions including those in ports and on roads. Recently, BSRM Group incurred losses worth Tk 100 crore due to various disruptions in ports, he said.

Imtiaz urged the government to take initiative to improve ease of doing business condition saying that unique rules and regulations should be formulated for business.

Bonik Barta editor Dewan Hanif Mahmud moderated the event.

• Courtesy: New Age /Nov 25, 2018