• BM Report:

Twenty licenses are going to be issued automatically to facilitate the international trade of fisheries through e-certification. Accordingly, the procedures and processes of the quality control laboratories of the Department of Fisheries will be accelerated. This initiative will play a groundbreaking role in reducing costs and increasing transparency and speed in the domestic and international trade of fish and fish products. Stakeholders expect that food quality and safety will be ensured.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM. Rezaul Karim said, “The launch of the e-certification in fish import-export is the introduction of a new chapter in the development of Smart Bangladesh.” The minister made this comment in the speech of the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of e-certification and laboratory information management systems at a hotel in the capital on Wednesday. The event was jointly organized by the Bangladesh Trade Facilitation Project, funded by the Department of Fisheries and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Rezaul Karim also said, “The fisheries sector fulfills the nutritional needs of people, which is essential for increasing immunity. Exporting fish abroad also earns a lot of foreign exchange. Fish is exported to 52 countries around the world.

According to the minister, it is impossible to implement Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s belief in building a smart Bangladesh if such an important sector is managed in traditional ways.

The minister also said, “The smart system of e-certification will be very helpful for us to properly meet the needs of fish import and export. Through this, it will be possible to prevent wastage of time as well as ensure quality by providing hassle-free service within moments. Through this system, those directly and indirectly involved in import-export will be freed from suffering. At the same time, it will be possible to bring everyone involved in this sector in the country and outside the country on the same platform.”

He said automation related to exports is very important to export abroad. A new chapter in building a modern fisheries sector to keep pace with the world has begun. In this case, the stakeholders in fish production, marketing, and processing have to work together.

In order to facilitate the import-export process of fish and fish products, the e-certification system and laboratory management system have been launched with the technical support of the Bangladesh Trade Facilitation Project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture and the initiative of the Department of Fisheries.

Director General of Fisheries Kha Mahbubul Haque was present as the session chair in the program. Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Nahid Rashid, Agricultural Attaché of the United States Embassy in Bangladesh Sarah Gileski, and Bangladesh Trade Facilitation Project Director Michael J. Pass also spoke in the program.