Top Law Firm in Bangladesh

Top Law Firm in Bangladesh

Leading Law Firm in Bangladesh

Leading Law Firm in Dhaka

Ease of Doing Business in Bangladesh

FM Associates | A Full Service Law Firm | Offices in Bangladesh, India, UAE & UK

Doing_business_in_bangladesh

A Full Service Law Firm

doing business in Bangladesh | FM Consulting International

Provider of Financial, Auditing, Payroll & Business Consulting Services

How to Setup Steel & Metal Business in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh the steel and metal product manufacturing and trading industry is a well-established and growing industry and has emerged as a significant contributor to the country's economy. Bangladesh has the fastest growing economy in Asia-Pacific region and a lot of this economic growth is due to the growth in steel market. Large ventures, rising urbanization, living standards and stronger economic output have all driven growth in this particular sector.

In recent years, Bangladesh is emerging in global steel and metal industry and according to leading manufacturers, more than 4 million MT of steel was produced in 2016 representing a market value of $3.6billion. Today, the country's per capita steel consumption of 45 kg has risen almost twice since 2012 and is expected to reach 73 kg by the year 2022.Moreover, if per year the GDP is expected to grow by 8% then the steel industry should grow by at least 16% per year in the country.

The steel exporters in Bangladesh have developed a good presence in the Asian and African markets in particular. As a result, Bangladesh is now considered to be a significant emerging player on the global arena in steel business. 

In Bangladesh, most of the market players are Chittagong based and these industries have played huge role in bringing development in this sector. Some prominent steel manufacturing industries are, AKS (Abul Khair Steel Mills), PHP Steels Mills, KY Steel Mills, S. Appollo Ispat, Galco Steels etc.industries hire thousands of workers and thus reducing unemployment rate in the country and also accelerating economic growth. 

Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation (BSEC) is under the Ministry of Industries and the objectives of this Corporation are, producing high quality steel and engineering materials through the use of renewable technologies, customer satisfaction through the marketing of goods, foreign currency savings through the reduction of imports and exports and the maintenance of good management of industrial establishments. 

Bangladesh has continued to be an attractive destination for foreign companies to do business due to its lower production cost and labour wage compared to other Asian countries. The country is found to be the most economical in terms of worker's wage both in manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors any other country.In Bangladesh, The Regional consumers of steel products include builders, land developers, export processing regions, road and bridge construction firms, shipbuilding firms, etc. The demand for steel is increasing day by day due to increased public works and some large infrastructure projects underway.

How to Setup Steel Business in Bangladesh

LICENSE AND REGISTRATION PROCESS 


In Bangladesh, Steel business can be operated through forming a company:

Company:
A Company duly registered in Bangladesh may engage in any business activities as per the Object Clause of the Company, set out in the Memorandum of Association of the Company. In Bangladesh, a company can be either public or private. To form a public company minimum seven shareholders shall be required. On the other hand minimum two shareholders are necessary to incorporate a private company. Private company cannot any issue invitation to the public to subscribe for its shares, while, public company can offer general public to acquire its shares. In practice, private company is the most popular form of company to foreign and local entrepreneurs. For foreign direct investment, there is no limitation pertaining to foreign equity participation, i.e. 100 percent foreign equity is allowed. Foreign investment enjoys full protection and security in Bangladesh, like other Locally Invested Companies. The laws of Bangladesh guarantees non-discriminatory treatment between foreign and local investment, and repatriation of proceeds from sales of shares and profit.

The following steps needs to follow to form Company:
1. A Name Clearance for the proposed Company needs to be obtained from Registrar of Joint Stock and Companies. 
2. Drafting and signing the following:
• Memorandum and Articles of Association of the company;
• Form I: Declaration On Registration Of Company;
• Form VI: Notice Of Situation Of Registered Office;
• Form IX: Consent of director to act;
• Form X: List of Personal Consenting to be Directors;
• Form XII: Particulars of the directors, manager and managing agents.

3. Opening a temporary bank account for the Proposed Company in any scheduled Bank in Bangladesh.

4. Remit the paid up capital amount from the account of each foreign shareholders to the Bank Account of the Proposed Company in Bangladesh.

5. Obtain encashment certificate for each foreign transactions from the Bank of the Proposed Company.

6. Submit all the required to the Company House. 

7. Pay the Govt Fees for the registration.

8. Obtain the registration certificate from the Company House.

Required Documents for forming a Company:
a) Copy of Valid Name Clearance for the proposed company;

b) Executed copy of Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company.

c) Executed copy of Form I: Declaration On Registration Of Company;

d) Executed copy of Form VI: Notice Of Situation Of Registered Office;

e) Executed copy of Form IX: Consent of director to act;

f) Executed copy of Form X: List of Personal Consenting to be Directors;

g) Executed copy of Form XII: Particulars of the directors, manager and managing agents;

h) Copies of National ID of shareholders and directors (for Bangladeshi Nationals);

i) Copies of TIN Certificate of shareholders and directors (for Bangladeshi Nationals);

j) Copies of passport of shareholders and directors (for Foreign Nationals);

k) Passport size photos of shareholders and directors;

l) Bank Encashment Certificate with respect to each foreign shareholder;

m) Receipt of payment of the governmental fees.

Apart from setting up the above respective format a 100% foreign owned company can also register as Branch Office to initiate Steel business. Though, Branch office can only perform the function envisaged by the parent company by taking prior approval from Bangladesh Investment Development Authority. After setting up the respective company, some additional license or permissions may be required, depending on the expansion/scope of the business.

Additional Licenses
The additional licenses required for establishing a Steel industry are mentioned below:
I. Trade License;
II. TIN Certificate; 
III. VAT Registration Certificate;
IV. Registration of Industrial Investment Project;
V. Factory Layout Approval;
VI. License of Factory;
VII. Membership Certificate;
VIII. Import Registration Certificate (applicable for Import Business);
IX. Export Registration Certificate (applicable for Export Business);
X. Environment Clearance Certificate;
XI. Fire License;
XII. Registration of Trademark;
XIII. BSTI Certificate.

The process to obtain the additional licenses has been specified below:

Trade License:
In order to start up a business in Bangladesh, the most important requirement is acquisition of a trade license. It is compulsory for every business entity to obtain Trade License from the respective local governmental authority. In order to obtain the Trade License an application enclosed with necessary documents needs to be submitted to the concerned local governmental authority (i.e. City Corporation/Municipal Corporation/Union Parishad).

TIN Certificate:
The Government of Bangladesh provides a TIN Certificate, to individual or company to track tax payments. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is the sole authority to provide TIN Certificate. In order to obtain the TIN Certificate an online application needs to be submitted to the NBR.

VAT Certificate:
Every Business in order to operate is required to have a Business Identification Number (BIN). A BIN can be obtained by VAT registration process to the National Board of Revenue. Every business entity must obtain a VAT registration certificate. In order to obtain the VAT Certificate an online application along with necessary documents needs to be submitted to the NBR.

Registration of Industrial Investment Project:
The Industrial enterprises in Bangladesh, either local or foreign, have to be registered with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA). In order to Registration of Industrial Investment Project an application along with necessary documents needs to be submitted to the BIDA.

Factory Layout Approval:
Before use, change or expansion of any houses, building or premises as factory, an approval in writing from the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) shall be taken.  In order to get the approval of the layout an application along with necessary documents needs to be submitted to the DIFE.

License of Factory:
Each of the owners or occupiers shall have to submit an application with necessary documents to the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) for registration and license of factory within 30 (thirty) days before start of work for factories. 

Membership Certificate:
After setting up the respective business, the entrepreneur needs to be a member of a local Chamber of Commerce and Industry or relevant Trade Association. The application form to be a member is available at the office of the concerned Chamber of Commerce or Trade Association.

Import Registration Certificate and Export Registration Certificate:

An importer having Import Registration Certificate (IRC) and an Exporter having Export Registration Certificate (ERC) can Import & Export any permissible item without any value and quantity restrictions and without obtaining any permission from any authority. The Office of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports (CCI&E) issues Import Registration Certificate and Export Registration Certificate to the desired applicant. In order to obtain the IRC or ERC an online application along with necessary documents needs to be submitted to the CCI&E.

Environment Clearance Certificate
Environment Clearance Certificate (ECC) is one of the vital approvals in order to initiate an industrial unit or project in Bangladesh. In order to obtain such Certificate, the concerned entrepreneur of the industrial unit or project need to make an application to the Department of Environment along with the necessary documents. 

Fire License
Considering the environment and to ensure the safety of the establishment along with the workers engaged in the business, it is mandatory for buildings and business organizations to obtain fire license. It is issued by the Fire Service and Civil Defense (FSCD) authority operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bangladesh. In order to obtain such license, the concerned entrepreneur of the industrial unit or project need to submit an application to the FSCD along with the necessary documents.

Registration of Trademark
In order to protect trademark and other IP related matters, after the registration of the entity, it can apply to the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT), operated under the Ministry of Industries, for registering its trademarks and/or any other Intellectual Property. An applicant in the prescribe manner has to file with necessary documents for the registration of a trademark to the Trademark Registry Wing of the DPDT.

BSTI Certificate:
Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) is an authority in Bangladesh which gives certificate/license for standard of products. The Steel and metal products overall quality are evaluated by BSTI test. (BSTI) provides two kinds of product certification:

• Mandatory Certification: where product can be launched without a certificate from BSTI

• Voluntary Certification: where product can be launched withouta certificate, but BSTI certificate adds extra credibility benefits to the product.

Legal Issues:

Foreign Investment Law:
Foreign entities or individuals who are considering investing in Bangladesh can get generous opportunities for investment under its liberalized Industrial Policy and export-oriented, private sector-led growth strategy. All sectors are open for private investment in Bangladesh except for some restricted sectors. Steel sector is open to 100% foreign investment. The aim of the government is to serve as a facilitator to help create an enabling environment for the expansion of private investment, both domestic and international. The policy framework for foreign investment in Bangladesh is based on 'The Foreign Private Investment (Promotion & Protection) Act 1980, which ensures legal security for foreign investment in Bangladesh against nationalization and expropriation. This also ensures non-discriminatory treatment between international and local investment and the repatriation of proceeds from the selling of shares and income.
Apart from the above Act, the following Acts also deals with the foreign investment: Foreign Exchange Regulations Act 1947, The Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority Act 1980, Bangladesh Private Export Processing Zone Act 1996, Bangladesh Economic Zone Act 2010, and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Act 2016.

Employment Law:
The employment law in Bangladesh is mainly governed by the Labour Act, 2006. Apart from this Statute there are other rules and regulations in regards to this issue, the Labour Rules 2015, National Labour Policy 2012, Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation Act 2006, Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation Rules 2010, National Occupational Health and Safety Policy 2013, Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy 2015 and National Child Labour Elimination Policy 2010. The Labour Act of 2006 deals with employment of labour, relation between employers and employees, payment of wages and compensation for injuries to workers, leaves, benefits, formation of trade unions, settlement of industrial disputes, welfare, health, safety and working condition in the establishment etc. Maternity benefits are also provided for a female employee. It should be noted, if the company is establish in an EPZ then, Bangladesh EPZ Labour Act 2019 shall be applicable.

Contract Law:
Contractual agreement is the heart of the commercial world. It sets out the duties and responsibilities between the parties relating to the subject matter of the contract. A contract binds both parties of its all agreed and stipulated clauses, for example, what would be the party’s liability in the event of committing breach of contract and how far shall it cover the losses of the opposite party. It is advisable that, to take highest care during stipulating the terms and conditions of the contract so that it expresses the real intention of the parties. Every contract in Bangladesh is governed by the Contract Act, 1872. 

A force majeure event means an unusual occurrence or situation beyond the control of the contracting parties, such as an act of God, war or a natural calamity. An effective application of the force majeure clause usually relieves the parties of their respective contractual obligations and/or liability. A force majeure provision does not completely justify the non-performance of a faction, but only suspends it for certain period. In Bangladesh, the Contract Act 1872, contains the doctrine of frustration, which is provided in Section 56 of the Act of 1872. As per this doctrine, a contract becomes void when it becomes impossible to perform due to occurrence of an event, it becomes unlawful after it was entered into.

Compliances of the business entities:
The entities are required to comply with the annual filing requirements, such has updating trade license at the respective city corporation, renewal of chamber membership, renewal of IRC & ERC, filing taxes, updating the annual filings at the RJSC, reporting to Bangladesh Bank, NBR etc.

Property Law:
In order to complete the registration of the lease or purchase of the land, the laws in regards to property shall also be applicable. The key statutes in these areas are Land Reform Act 2014, East Bengal Tenancy Rules 1954, The Survey Act 1875, The Non-Agricultural Tenancy Act 1949, Registration Act 1908, and Transfer of Property Act 1882.

Introduction of FMA and its services

FM Associates (FMA), is a full-service corporate law firms, which aims to offer a comprehensive range of services to the clients rather than focusing on just one specific area of law. It is one of the largest and well reputed law firms in Bangladesh offering clients, legal advice that meets needs and expectations of both domestic and International clients. FMA provides all range of services related to Company Incorporating, Sole Proprietorship business, Partnership Business, Foreign Company Registration etc. FMA law firm has legal experts who can assure smooth legal process and assist in obtaining Certificates or License needed for Company Incorporation, such as VAT Certificate, IRC/ERC, Name Clearance, Factory/Fire/Environmental License, TIN, Trade License and other types of certificates.

In Order to set up Steel Business in Bangladesh, the services FMA can provide are as follows:

FMA has an excellent and competent team who can proceed in setting up Steel business smoothly and efficiently. The legal advisors of FMA can assist the clients through consultations and meetings and provide them guidelines on any type of business incorporation. 

In order to incorporate any type of business, several deed, agreements and documents are required to be drafted. FMA legal team can assist the clients in preparing and drafting those documents.

In order to establish a business entity, it is essential to select a suitable land first. FMA can provide service to the client by searching for a preferable location for business establishment for the client. Moreover, FMA can assist in drafting lease agreement, Land vetting from respective land registry office, preparation for purchase of land including registration etc.

FMA can also assist in making necessary payments of Government fees to the concerned authority, such as BIDA or RJSC and liaise with them to obtain relevant documents for business incorporation. FMA, legal experts have good working relation with government offices; which makes it easier to obtain any certificate/license.

In order to incorporate a business, sometimes Trademark/Copyright/Patent registration is required for getting protection against infringement, to add value to the company and to strengthen legal protection. FMA assists its clients by obtaining registration for Trademark/Copyright/Patent from the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT) and thus securing the company’s legal protection.

FMA also provides services of obtaining or renewing any type of License, for conducting Steel business, several licenses are required to be obtained. FMA legal team can assist in getting those licenses and if necessary, renew them at the right time.

FMA provides services related to labour matters, such as drafting of employment agreements, solving labour related disputes, providing legal opinion on labour law etc. to the clients.

FMA can advise and assist to satisfy the regular legal compliances to smooth the regular run of the company.

COVID-19 impact on Business:

The coronavirus (Covid-19) has caused havoc all over the world and lockdown policy has resulted in border closures, travel bans, restaurant closures, community quarantines, supply chains and trade disturbances that have greatly affected the Industrial sector in Bangladesh.Covid-19 have also affected steel and metal manufacturing industries of Bangladesh due to closure of factories, restriction of export, import, temporary shutdown of production, restrictions of free movement, shortage of workers, higher controls on cargo vessels which is aimed at avoiding the further spread of the virus. Due to the current situation, Exporters in Bangladesh are not getting their payments on time, Buyers are cancelling or modifying orders. As a result of this, industry owners are finding it difficult to pay salaries to the employees working in different establishments. Lay-off workers are moving to the villages creating shortage of workers, shutdown of industry is causing unemployment and thus it is hampering the economic condition of the country.

However, the Government in order to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on the country’s economy has announced a bailout/stimulus package of Tk 5,000 crore for export-oriented industries indicating that the money from the package could only be disbursed in the form of salaries for employees of those establishments. Management of export-oriented companies or factories have to provide salary sheets, workers’ lists and their mobile banking accounts to banks so that salaries for April can be directly disbursed to the employees. 

Moreover, Tk 300 billion has been provided for working capital loan to the affected industries and service sectors with 9.0 per cent interest, out of which half will be borne by the facility enjoying entity and other half will be paid by government as subsidy. Export Development Fund (EDF) will be enhanced by an additional amount of Tk 127.50 billion and a new credit facility of Tk 500 billion as 'Pre-shipment Credit Refinance Scheme' will be introduced by the central bank with 7.0 per cent interest. The Government of Bangladesh has also, requested $1 billion in funding from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank as the country seeks to help its citizens, companies and industries suffering from the pandemic.

Further, four fresh financial stimulus packages of Tk 67,750 crore was also announced by the government. The four programs under the plan which includes, increasing public expenditure, formulating a stimulus package, widening social safety net coverage and increasing monetary supply.The program, which has almost $2.5 billion allocated to support financing of the labor resources of small and medium-sized enterprises, is a bold step towards preserving the livelihoods of people working in this sector.  The Government policies were adopted as per, sections 12 and 16 of the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006.As per section 12 of the Act, lay-off means the failure, stoppage or inability of an employer to work at an establishment in the event of fire, catastrophe, breakdown of machinery, or stoppage of power supply, epidemics etc.

Section 16 of the Act specifically deals with the right of laid-off workers. This section specifies that a laid off worker shall be paid by the employer on all days on which he or she is laid-off, except on weekly holidays. The law notes that the names of these laid off employees must be borne by the establishment's personnel and must be someone who has completed not less than one year of continuous service in an establishment.

This section also states that, the value of the salary shall be equal to half of the overall regular wages and benefits and, if any, the ad hoc and the full amount of the housing allowance.
Section 16(5) mentions that, If, within a calendar year, the worker is laid off for more than forty-five days and after the end of it, the days comprises periods of fifteen days or more, the worker shall be compensated for those days.

Taxation
General rate of tax is 32.5% currently in the laws of Bangladesh. Nominal requirements for a limited company formed locally includes a number of reporting to be done to NBR, such as: Opening a TIN, Monthly Tax deduction statement, Half Yearly Withholding Tax statement, Yearly statement related to tax return submission of its employees, Yearly statement related to salary disbursed from company to its employees, Quarterly Advance tax deposition, Yearly Tax return submission, attending appeal/hearing session as required on behalf of the company, Monthly VAT return etc. FMA can advise and assist to satisfy all regulatory compliances to enable the company to run smooth and hassle free.  

Conclusion:

In Bangladesh, increasing urbanization, industrialization, increased inflows of wage earners and increased customer buying power are driving growth in the overall industrial sector. The demand for steel and metal products in Bangladesh is driven mainly by infrastructure projects in the manufacturing, housing and public sectors. Although there is a lot of room for growth in the domestic market, focusing on steel and metal exports is the key to future development of this industry in Bangladesh. Moreover, Implementation of the government's major infrastructure development plans and foreign investment policy has boosted the country's steel and metalbusiness double-digit growth rate, and the industry is expected to experience strong growth over the next decade through effective strategy planning. 

Executive Summary:

In Bangladesh the steel and metal product manufacturing industry is a well-established and growing industry and has emerged as a significant contributor to the country's economy. In recent years, Bangladesh is emerging in global steel and metal industry and according to leading manufacturers more than 4 million MT of steel was produced in 2016 representing a market value of $3.6 billion. The steel exporters in Bangladesh have developed a good presence in the Asian and African markets in particular. As a result, Bangladesh is now considered to be a significant emerging player on the global arena in steel business.

Bangladesh has continued to be an attractive destination for foreign companies to do business due to its lower production cost and labour wage compared to other Asian countries. The country is found to be the most economical in terms of worker's wage both in manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors any other country. The demand for steel is increasing day by day due to increased public works and some large infrastructure projects underway.

In order to proceed with steel and metal manufacturing business in Bangladesh, it is important to take permission from the concerned authority or department. A steel manufacturing business could be done through company incorporation or partnership. To incorporate a business obtaining licensees, such as-Trade license, Fire License, Environment and factory license, Trademark etc. are compulsory. 

Foreign entities or individuals who are considering investing in Bangladesh can get generous opportunities for investment under its liberalized Industrial Policy and export-oriented, private sector-led growth strategy. The aim of the government is to serve as a facilitator to help create an enabling environment for the expansion of private investment, both domestic and international. 

The employment law in Bangladesh Steel and metal products Industry is governed by the labour Act, 2006 and the labour rules 2015.The labour legislation in Bangladesh mainly deal with employees working in the formal sectors. The Act of 2006 deals with employment of labour, relation between employers and employees, determination of minimum wages, payment of wages and compensation for injuries to workers, formation of trade unions, settlement of industrial disputes, welfare, health, safety and working condition in the establishment etc. On the other hand, The Labour Rule 2015, lays down provisions for employment policy/service rules. 
Covid 19 in recent time has made a huge hindrance on the economic sector and so in steel and metal industries. The Industry owners are finding it difficult to pay salaries to the employees working in different establishments, Lay-off workers are moving to the villages creating shortage of workers, shutdown of industry is causing unemployment and thus huge impact on the economic condition of the country. However, the government of Bangladesh has taken major initiatives to overcome this situation and offered support to the effected employees and workers.

In Bangladesh development of Steel and metal business can play a huge role in boosting up the overall economic condition of the country. In order to establish steel business and industries, FMA legal team can provide various services related to business incorporation. FMA is a full servive law firm that has an excellent and competent team, who can proceed in setting up business in this sector efficiently.