Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir Tuesday said the government will simplify and speed up processes for the shipbuilding and recycling industry and quickly set up a Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) for waste management, to create a working environment that suits foreign buyers.

"The government has taken initiatives to simplify the approval process and remove institutional complications to boost the international competitiveness of the shipbuilding and recycling industry," the minister said.

He was speaking at a meeting of the committee formed to review existing laws, rules and policies on the ship recycling industry and prepare recommendations, held at the conference room of the Ministry of Commerce.

The meeting discussed ship waste management, yard modernisation, compliance with environmental standards and ways to end delays in securing approvals. Particular emphasis was placed on arranging clearances and file approvals from Chattogram itself.

Muktadir said Bangladesh must compete on capacity with rival countries to win ship orders in the international market. He stressed simplifying domestic processes by taking the policies of leading shipbuilding nations as benchmarks.

A special committee led by him is working to simplify rules and procedures, the minister said. The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) is also involved in the initiative.

Stressing effective and implementable policies, he said enacting laws is not enough, and proper enforcement and compliance must be ensured.

"Rules that cannot be implemented eventually lose their relevance," he said, urging regulatory agencies to change their approach to work.

Muktadir said Bangladesh will prioritise implementing the Hong Kong Convention to make the ship recycling sector environment-friendly and bring it up to international standards.

Any gaps or ambiguities in implementation would be addressed through a national charter, he added.

Calling for a balance between environmental protection and economic potential, the minister said environmental standards must be ensured, but the progress of the promising sector would not be obstructed through unnecessary complications.

He said the process of implementing the TSDF quickly is under way.

On financing and stuck loans in the shipbuilding industry, Muktadir said stakeholders should not spend long on the complications of old loans but look for ways to overcome the current crisis and move the sector forward.

He also spoke of holding quick meetings with all concerned parties and taking coordinated steps to expand facilities for entrepreneurs and remove existing barriers.

Environment Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo said that without a TSDF, parties linked to European ships are hesitating to work in Bangladesh and choosing alternative destinations, so the industry's potential is not being fully tapped.

European ships carry various kinds of high-quality recyclable materials, he said, and the necessary waste treatment, storage and disposal infrastructure must be built to attract them.

He directed that the TSDF be implemented quickly to strengthen the industry's competitive position while ensuring environmental standards.

Citing demand for raw materials and scrap in the country's housing and re-rolling industries, the environment minister said compliance with international conventions must be balanced with keeping the industry running.

He advised all concerned to work together to remove unnecessary procedural complications.

Industries Secretary Abdun Naser Khan presented the working paper at the meeting.

He said a working group on a one-stop service platform has started work to speed up ship recycling operations.

Work is also under way on drafting guidelines for building green yards in line with the Hong Kong Convention and on decentralising the Department of Environment's clearance process.

The meeting discussed in detail arranging file approvals from Chattogram to avoid the 45-to-60-day delay in obtaining clearances.

Participants stressed cutting time by completing approvals locally and making industry operations easier.