Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator Abdus Salam on Sunday said the fees for trade licence renewal could be further reduced if National Board of Revenue (NBR) charges included in the prescribed fees are lowered.
He made the remarks while attending a view-exchange meeting titled "Improvement of Local Business, Law-and-Order Situation, Traffic Congestion and Trade Licence Renewal Service" as the chief guest at the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) auditorium.
At the programme, the DCCI and DSCC jointly inaugurated the week-long "Trade Licence Service Week 2026."
Under the initiative, trade licence holders in the DSCC area, including DCCI members, can renew their licences for fiscal year 2026-27 by paying the prescribed fees from 10:00am-4:00pm on August 16-20 at the DCCI.
Salam said the DSCC currently has around 250,000 trade licences, though the actual number of businesses operating within its jurisdiction is significantly higher, and urged all businesses to obtain and renew licences to operate legally.
He said the city corporation holds public hearings every Saturday to ensure accountability and gather input from residents and businesses, and added that it is emphasising digital management to make trade licence services harassment-free, with plans to introduce a one-stop service soon.
On traffic congestion, the DSCC administrator said initiatives are underway to bring battery-powered auto-rickshaws and hawkers under a registration system, and sought cooperation from the business community to implement one-way traffic systems to help restore the heritage of Old Dhaka.
In his welcome remarks, DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed said a trade licence is one of the most important basic documents for operating a business, but entrepreneurs often face difficulties in obtaining and renewing them due to lack of information, uncertainty over required documents, and procedural delays.
He said automating the process will significantly cut delays and harassment, adding that introducing multi-year renewal facilities will further ease the burden on businesses.
DSCC Chief Executive Officer Md Khoybar Rahman said a major share of the city corporation's revenue comes from holding taxes and trade licence fees, with about 246,180 licences already issued under 294 business categories within the DSCC jurisdiction.
He said the city corporation has set a revenue collection target of Tk 150 crore for FY27 and sought cooperation from businesses and residents to help achieve it.
Additional Police Commissioner (Admin) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Md Masud Karim said business and investment cannot gain momentum without a supportive law-and-order situation, adding that DMP is prioritising the issue.
He urged businesspeople to report any alleged extortion involving police personnel during unloading of goods in Old Dhaka, and said AI-powered cameras installed on several roads have helped ease traffic congestion, with plans underway to expand the programme.
Masud also said a policy is being formulated to bring discipline to auto-rickshaw movement through registration and number plates.
Speakers at the meeting stressed the need for a conducive business environment, reduced trade licence fees, hassle-free automated renewal, measures against traffic congestion and waterlogging, registration of auto-rickshaws, footpaths free of hawkers, and strict action against extortion by political groups and law enforcement personnel.
Following the inaugural session, representatives of 10 DCCI member enterprises received their renewed trade licence copies from the DSCC administrator.
DCCI Senior Vice President Razeev H Chowdhury, Vice President Md Salem Sulaiman and members of the Board of Directors were present at the meeting.