Dhaka: Commerce Minister Mohammad Faruque Khan Sunday said the government formed a taskforce to ensure facilities for different sectors under the incentive package declared by the government to face the challenges of global recession.

The minister informed this at a meeting with the leaders of different business sectors in the conference room of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

"Despite global recession and existing power and gas crises, we can reach close to the goal with the united efforts," the minister said expressing hope that the country's export condition is not so poor as it seems.

Encouraging the businessmen to march forward with their endeavours in facing the challenges,  he said : "Go ahead, the government is with you (the businessmen) and the existing problems will have to be solved."

The businessmen informed the meeting that the export volume is decreasing in the international market due to the gap between demand and supply caused by economic recession and, existing power and gas crises.

They demanded for quick implementation of the incentive package announced by the government.

They also placed a set of demands to the government, including uninterrupted power supply, keep the export sector out of pick/off pick hour, Tk. 250 crore compensation for relocation of tannery industry, arrangement of a cargo plane for exporting agri products, reducing the interest rate of bank lone and duty-free import of diesel to meet the demand of fuel.

Besides, they urged the government to take initiatives for the development of infrastructure of the industries.

In the fiscal 2008-09, the country's export volume was US$ 15.57 billion, 10.31 percent more than the previous financial year.

The export target for the fiscal 2009-10 was fixed at US$ 17.60 billion, 13 percent more than the last fiscal.

BDST: 2:20, Apr 19, 2010.