Dhaka: Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) on Thursday suggested inclusion of four leading chamber leaders in government's monitoring body to oversee the implementation of big infrastructure projects.

Newly elected DCCI president Abul Kasem Khan came up with the suggestion while addressing a press conference at its auditorium.

"Big infrastructures like flyovers, roads, highways and ports are badly needed for facilitating investment. But implementation of such important projects has been experiencing unusual delay. So, we want a strong monitoring to detect their problems," he said.

The DCCI president suggested the government to include the presidents of leading chambers like FBCCI, DCCI, MCCI and BCI Dhaka in its monitoring team.

Flanked by other DCCI directors, Kasem Khan made a presentation on the ideas of the leading chambers and put forward a number of suggestions for improving the business environment.

Urging the government to focus on infrastructure development and ensure adequate energy supply, he said the government should take initiatives to explore the country's natural gas and coal for addressing the energy needs.

He said the government has taken an initiative to import LNG but it will enhance the industries production cost affecting the competitiveness. "Cheap labour and low-price gas are our main advantages," he said.

Describing the private investment scenario as frustrating, the leading chamber business body chief said, "Still, the cost of doing business is too high in the country. That's why private investors are not showing much interest to invest.”    

The DCCI placed a 7-point recommendation for improving infrastructures which include the participation of private sector in power transmission and distribution, strengthening Bapex for gas exploration, extraction of local coal, strengthening public-private dialogue forum and forming a reform commission under the Prime Minister, quick implementation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and mass rapid transit (MRT) project for capital Dhaka and fast implementation of Dhaka-Chittagong 8-lane expressway project.

The DCCI president said the government can share the experience of Malaysia, China and Vietnam in fund mobilisation for the development of infrastructure projects.