New Information service to fill up financial information gap in Bangladesh

["Miraj Khaled" <khaled@bttb.net.bd>]

BFIS service to fill up financial information gap: Bangladesh Finance
minister
DHAKA, Dec 11 (BSS)

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS),the national news agency,today launched
its new financial news window styled as `BSS Financial Information Service
(BFIS)' to serve the country's trade and industry, banking and finance.

This is the first ever financial news service in the country launched by the
apex news agency to help boost the country's business sector development.

Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman formally launched the service
by switching on its online wide area network at a function at the National
Press Club here this evening.

Speaking on the occasion the finance minister praised the initiative
pointing out that the economic and financial sector information has so far
remained a `virtual empty area' in the country, causing disadvantage to
vital decision making.

Underlining the growing importance of information economics in recent time,
the finance minister said, the BFIS would go a long way to fill the growing
information gap in the financial sector.

Information Minister Tariqul Islam was the special guest at the event
chaired by Prof. Emaj Uddin Ahmed, chairman of the BSS Board of Governors.
Information Secretary Nazmul Alam Siddiqui, Managing Director and Chief
Editor of BSS Amanullah Kabir, Dr M Asaduzzaman, Project Director of
Sustainable Development Networking Program (SDNP) Bangladesh which developed
the software of the news service and BSS Managing Editor Mofakkharul Anam
spoke on the occasion.

Pointing to insufficient flow of information on business and other subjects
dealing with economic and financial matters, trade, industry, balance of
payment, reserves, market analysis
and such other matters, the finance minister said in many cases he has to
depend on foreign news magazines and dailies to understand the Bangladesh
situation.

He said as finance minister he would like to catch many people cheating the
government but he could not do it in absence of credible financial news. The
finance minister said since now the government can rely on the BFIS news in
taking important decisions involving financial matters.

Saifur Rahman said he knew that many business people are resorting to
over-invoicing or under-invoicing as it suits their purpose but he can not
catch them because of shortage of market information.

Information minister Tariqul Islam commended the new venture,saying he hoped
this would be feather in the cap of the BSS both financially and prestige
wise.