DHAKA, – The cabinet today gave final approval to the draft of “The Bangladesh Tour Operators and Tour Guides (Registration and Control Act), 2021” to bring the tour operators under regulation for conducting tour operations in a well-planned way for further development of the tourism industry.
In a weekly meeting held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban’s cabinet room with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair also approved in principle the draft of “The Boilers Act, 2021.
Briefing newsmen at the Bangladesh Secretariat here after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said, “The cabinet today approved ‘The Bangladesh Tour Operators and Tour Guides (Registration and Control Act), 2020,’ to bring the local tour operator under a legal framework aimed at operating the tours in a planned manner to ensure best services to the tourists and thus boost up tourism in Bangladesh.”
In accordance with the proposed law, he said, a touring company will have to obtain a license. “No company will be allowed to arrange tours without having registration and the interest of the tourists will be protected once the act is passed,” he added.
Many unregistered tour companies have been operating tours on a large scale and thus the government has been losing huge revenues from the sector, he said, adding that once the act is passed none can operate tours without registration and the government would earn huge revenues.
Foreign companies can also operate tours under the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the proposed the law, he informed.
The law has suggested maximum six months jail and Taka two lakh fine and operation of mobile courts in case of violating it, he also said.
The cabinet secretary added that the proposed law also has a provision of handing over the registration to another tour operator in case of death, physical and financial incapability.
Anwarul said that the cabinet also approved in principle “The Boilers Act-2021” after modifying the existing law of 1923 mainly to ensure producing and importing standard boilers alongside making sure safety in the mills and industries.
Owner of a boiler factory will the liable for maximum two years jail and Taka 2 lakh as fine or for both in case of using tempered or unregistered boilers in accordance with the proposed law, he said.
It has also suggested operating mobile courts to stop irregularities in the factories.
Besides, the cabinet today approved both the Bangla and English version of the Shipbuilding Industry Development Policy-2021 aimed at giving it the policy support as there is a scope to earn 4 billion USD by 2025 which is now 1 billion USD, he said.
The cabinet secretary added that the meeting also approved a proposal to reform the committee formed on February 9 in 2015 to formulate The Public Corporation (Management Coordination) Act aimed at operating all the government corporations under a board.
The meeting also informed that the cabinet of the government measures relating to increase pension benefits of the government employees from 2009, reformation of the pension system and its automation.
