National steering committee formed to develop creative economy

The government has formed a 27-member National Creative Economy Steering Committee to formulate and implement sector-specific plans and coordinate initiatives aimed at developing Bangladesh’s creative economy.

The Cabinet Division issued a gazette notification on Monday.

The finance and planning minister will serve as chair of the committee, with the ministers for cultural affairs, industries, commerce, and housing and public works as members.

The committee also includes the planning state minister; advisers to the ministries of finance and planning, posts, telecommunications and information technology, and science and technology; the prime minister’s special assistant for health; and advisers for policy and strategy at the ministries of information and broadcasting and cultural affairs.

Secretaries of the Finance Division and the ministries of information and broadcasting, youth and sports, cultural affairs, industries, civil aviation and tourism, women and children’s affairs, the ICT Division, and housing and public works will also serve as members. The chairperson of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) is also included.

Representatives from BRAC, HSBC Bangladesh, Bengal Foundation and Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology have been included as members.

Fashion designer and entrepreneur Bibi Russell and another sector expert will serve as specialist members. An additional secretary of the Finance Division responsible for macroeconomics and TDM will act as member-secretary.

The committee will approve sector-specific action plans, review their implementation and coordinate inter-ministerial and inter-agency initiatives related to the creative economy. It will also review the work of sector-based committees and assess progress on a quarterly basis.

The committee may co-opt additional members when necessary and will meet as required. The Finance Division will provide secretarial support. The government order took immediate effect.

SKS