5 more orgs to provide online services to investors via Bida OSS

The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with five more service provider companies which will provide nine types of services to local and international investors through the Bida One Stop Service (OSS) portal.

The companies are Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd, Sundarban Gas Company Ltd, Rajshahi Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa), Brac Bank and Prime Bank.

Including these companies, Bida has signed a MoU with 48 institutions. At present, Bida OSS delivers 67 services provided by 23 organisations. It is possible to provide more than 150 investment-related services from various service providers through the Bida OSS, said Bida Director Jibon Krishna Saha Roy.

The agreement was signed at the Bida Conference Room in the capital's Agargaon on Tuesday.

Under the agreement, industrial gas line connection services from Titas Gas and Sundarban Gas will be available through an online application.

Three services of Rajshahi Wasa will be available online – industrial water line connection, commercial water line connection, and permission for deep tube wells for enterprises.

Investors can avail of two services – online bank account opening and temporary bank account opening for foreign investors – from Brac Bank and Prime Bank.

While addressing the programme, Bida Chairman Lokman Hossain Mia said, "We need a lot of investment to realise 'Smart Bangladesh'. Forty types of services are usually required to start a business. Vietnam provides these services in 35 days, Indonesia in 50 days and India in 60 days. We are working to provide services like Vietnam."

"We are connecting other investment service providers with Bida OSS as a single point entry so that investors can get services online. Investors can avail of 150 investment services from Bida OSS within this year," he added.