BFIF FY06 PROPOSALS FOR BANGLADESH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DHAKA 000273 SIPDIS EB FOR DENNIS WINSTEAD AND EB/EX NEW DELHI FOR FCS E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A TAGS: BEXP ABUD ETRD EINV BTIO BG SUBJECT: BFIF FY06 PROPOSALS FOR BANGLADESH Ref: A) SECSTATE 215954 B) DHAKA 5572 ¶1. Embassy Dhaka welcomes the opportunity to submit the following request, totaling $11,000, for the FY06 Business Facilitation Incentive Fund (BFIF). Support from BFIF FY05 grants resulted in numerous achievements (ref B),and continues to position the Embassy's U.S. Trade Center to expand its activities substantially in FY06. In accordance with the BFIF proposal instructions (ref A),post has concentrated its proposal for this year in four thematic areas: i) Promoting Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ii) Combating Corruption in Business Practices iii) Trade Center activities during America Week, and iv) Printing and Publication of Export Promotion materials. -------------- -------------- Priority One: IPR Seminars -------------- -------------- ¶2. Post requests BFIF for Seminars on IPR promotion to be held in four Bangladeshi cities - Sylhet, Khulna, and Rajshahi, and Chittagong - between June and September. We are planning 10 monthly seminars in various Bangladeshi universities to increase public awareness to the growing problem of IPR infringement in Bangladesh. We plan on using BFIF for such seminars in universities outside of the Dhaka metropolitan area. ¶3. Justification and Planning Milestones: Post has recently noticed an increase in IPR infringement of U.S. rights holders. Several U.S. corporations with interests in Bangladesh have recently contacted us regarding infringement of their trademarks, trade- names and copyrights. Our seminars are expected to highlight this growing problem in public forums to increase public awareness and encourage government action. The Embassy organized an IPR Conference in July 2005 that generated large-scale interest in the public and private sectors. To continue the momentum generated by the July event, we are planning 10 seminars at various universities around the country this year, four of them outside Dhaka. ¶4. Performance metrics/MPP priority: Increasing public awareness to this growing problem will ensure greater compliance to existing laws and would encourage stronger enforcement from the Bangladeshi government. Pressuring the BDG to reform IPR laws and policies and strengthen enforcement measures will have a direct impact on sale of legitimate U.S. products in Bangladesh, a key MPP objective. ¶5. Cost estimate: We estimate the cost of holding these four seminars to be $4,000. This estimate includes the cost of airfare, hotel, and per diem for one Economic/commercial officer, Economic/ Commercial Specialist and airfare and lodging for two IPR experts and printing and advertising costs ($500). -------------- -------------- Priority Two: Conference on Combating Corruption -------------- -------------- ¶6. Post plans to organize a Conference on Combating Corruption in Bangladesh Business Practices. Corruption is widespread in Bangladeshi business practices, especially in public procurement cases. Post advocates regularly on behalf of U.S. corporations that have lost out on public tenders due to unfair and corrupt tactics by other bidders. Post intends to organize this conference, with the American Chamber of Commerce, to address corruption in public tenders and to educate agents of U.S. corporations about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Bangladesh government officials, U.S. corporations, local agents of U.S. corporate interests, and other multinationals represented in Bangladesh will be the target audience. ¶7. Justification and planning milestones: The majority of advocacy cases that post is currently dealing with are a direct result of rampant corruption in the public procurement process. We have also noticed that many local agents of U.S. corporations are engaging in corruption either because they are unaware of their obligations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or they are choosing to ignore them. This Conference is intended to educate and inform BDG officials and agents of multinationals about international standards for public procurement. ¶8. Performance metrics/MPP priority: Post is planning this Conference to address the growing problem of corruption even among local agents of American companies. We also see this as an opportunity to publicly discuss this issue with BDG officials. This seminar will promote economic reform and ultimately U.S. exports, both key MPP objectives. ¶9. Cost Estimate: We estimate the cost of holding this seminar to be $2,500. This estimate includes the cost of renting the ballroom of a centrally located hotel ($1,500); printing of banners and brochures ($800); distribution of press releases and photographs ($200). -------------- -------------- Priority three: America Week in Chittagong -------------- -------------- ¶10. Post is organizing its annual America Week event in Chittagong, which is scheduled for March. The Trade Center routinely organizes trade events during America Week to showcase American products and services. Post intends to use BFIF to organize economic activities during America Week including an Economic Roundtable with the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce. ¶11. Justification and planning milestones: Chittagong is the major port city in Bangladesh and is therefore the hub for businesses involved in international trade. Post intends to use the America Week event to focus on business activities in Chittagong and highlight pressing issues in the Chittagong business context. Organizing commerce- related events in Chittagong will help the Econ/Commercial section make contacts with business leaders in Chittagong and address concerns importers face in dealing with the port in Chittagong. ¶12. Performance metrics/MPP priority: Embassy Dhaka organizes annual America Week events in major cities to showcase all aspects of Embassy activities. Given Chittagong's importance as a business city, the Embassy intends to prominently promote the activities of the Trade Center. Trade promotion activities during America Week, an MPP objective, will significantly increase exposure of U.S. goods and services to buyers in Chittagong. ¶13. Cost estimate: We estimate the cost of our activites in Chittagong to be $2,000. This estimate includes the cost of renting the ballroom of Agrabad hotel ($1,000),printing of banners brochures ($800) and distribution of press releases and pictures ($200). -------------- Priority four: Printing outreach materials -------------- ¶14. Post would like to use BFIF to cover the printing costs of various publications that are essential to our outreach efforts. Our quarterly newsletter advertises upcoming trade shows, highlights the export potential of a variety of U.S. products and services, promotes economic reform, and summarizes the Ambassador's recent speeches on trade issues. Our Trade Center brochure describes our commercial services, contains an export promotion message from the Ambassador, and has information on our hours of operation, phone/fax numbers and internet address. Post also plans to print and bind its Country Commercial Guide and produce a small laminated card (about the size of a business card) with the phone numbers and email addresses of our Trade Center FSNs. ¶15. Justification and planning milestones: Post distributes its outreach material to walk-in Trade Center visitors, potential purchasers of U.S. goods and services who attend our catalog shows and America Week events, and visitors who pass by our Trade Center booth at the annual U.S. Trade Show, organized jointly by the Embassy and the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh. We mail our newsletter to Chamber officials, AmCham members, officers of Bangladesh's largest firms, BDG commerce and trade officials, and even U.S. Congressmen. We distribute our Country Commercial Guide to American businessmen showing an interest in Bangladesh. We will draft and print our quarterly newsletter in March, June, September, and December. Our other publications will be printed in June. ¶16. Performance metrics/MPP priority: Embassy officers now routinely carry our publications (the newsletter and country commercial guide) to meetings with government and business officials. Our publications promote economic reform and U.S. exports, both key MPP objectives. ¶17. Cost Estimate: We estimate the cost of this proposal to be $1,300. This estimate includes the cost of printing our newsletter, Country Commercial Guide, Trade Center brochure, and small cards. ¶18. Post appreciates the Department's consideration of our FY06 proposals. The point of contact for BFIF projects is Economic/Commercial Officer Dayle Rebecca Johns. Chammas