>Roundtable Discussion on Duties and Liabilities of the Board of NGOs

>Corporate Governance Week, 2008

>Seminar on Best Practice on Director Information System: What the director needs to know

>Capacity Building Programme on Improving the Performance of the SOE’s Boards in Bangladesh

>Capacity Building Programme on Succession Planning for Long Term Competitiveness of Private Sectors of Bangladesh

>Closing of the Corporate Governance Week, 2008 and Prize Giving Ceremony of the Essay Competition on Corporate Governance

>Training of Trainers programme on NGO Governance

>The Royal Netherlands Ambassador visits BEI

BEI organized a capacity building programme on Improving the Performance of the SOE’s Boards in Bangladesh on January 15, 2008 in its conference room. Dr. A.B. Mirza Md. Azizul Islam, Adviser, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Government of Bangladesh, inaugurated the programme as the Chief Guest.

The objective of the programme was to discuss the governance structure of the State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) boards in Bangladesh and recommend key measures to strengthen the governance of the boards.

Mr. Farooq Sobhan, President, BEI, presented the key-note paper on Improving the Performance of SOE Boards in Bangladesh. This paper was also handed over to Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh. Dr. YRK Reddy, and Mr. K. Padmakumar were present as discussants at the programme. Dr. Reddy and Mr. Padmakumar shared their experiences on the best practices of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Director Information System with specific reference to supply chain and procurement in SOEs.

Chief Guest and the Speakers at the programme. (From L-R): Dr. YRK Reddy, Founder and Chairman, Yaga Consulting Pvt. Ltd; Dr. A.B.Mirza Md. Azizul Islam, Honourable Adviser, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Caretaker Government of Bangladesh; Mr. Farooq Sobhan, President, BEI and Mr. K. Padmakumar, Secretary, RIAB, Government of Kerala, India.

While presenting his paper, Mr. Sobhan said that the state should recognize the rights of shareholders and ensure their access to corporate information. The SOEs should also observe high standards in terms of transparency. He also said that, inefficiency of the SOEs has been identified as a major impediment to the economic growth of the country and the SOEs have been a drain on the national exchequer. He added that it is important to look at ways and means to make the SOEs more efficient, profitable and professional. Mr. Sobhan also underscored the appointment of independent directors on the SOE boards, adding that their selection could be made from a pool of seasoned business leaders or retired civil servants with proven track records. He stressed that it should be mandatory for all government representatives serving on boards of SOEs to attend at least one two-day training programme on the role and responsibilities of board of directors.

Dr. Reddy and Mr. Padmakumar pointed out the key issues for the success of the SOEs in India. As a government secretary Mr. Kumar recommended mechanisms to improve the performance of the SOEs. He said the main criticisms in the governance of SOEs have been political interference and bureaucratic apathy.

Dr. A.B. Mirza Md. Azizul Islam, Honourable Adviser to the Ministry of Finance and Planning, and the Chief Guest of the programme said that it is important to ensure corporate governance in SOEs to bring accountability, efficiency and transparency. He added that SOEs should not be allowed to run on government subsidy for long. These enterprises should run commercially, without depending on subsidy from the government. On Mr. Sobhan’s recommendation on appointment of independent director in SOEs, the Adviser said in a sense directors of SOEs are independent, but they are, in a way, not independent as they are representing the government[t1] . About the training course, he said the BEI could arrange training courses to improve efficiency and development of board members of the SOEs.

Thirty-one senior officials representing different SOEs, including Bangladesh Power Development Board, DESCO, Power Grid Co. Ltd., Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation, Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, Bangladesh Water Development Board, Jiban Bima Corporation and Bangladesh Fisheries Development Board, attended the programme.