Export earnings in the country’s software sector have stood at $182 million in 2017-18 fiscal – an $11.92 million down from that of $193.93 million in the previous fiscal, sources at Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) said.
But, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) said the figure was $258 million.
However, the industry insiders said in both the cases, the institutions do not count the earnings of freelancers, software developers and call centres.
The figures put a stark contrast to the amount, revealed by Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), the national trade body for software & IT enabled service industry of Bangladesh.
According to BASIS, export earnings in the software sector hit $800 million last fiscal.
The telecom minister, as well as the industry insiders, disagreed with the EPB’s and the BBS’ data.
“No figure by the EPB and the BBS is acceptable,” Telecom and ICT Minister Mustafa Jabbar told Bangla Tribune.
Citing the country’s software export witnessed no impediment last fiscal, the minister said, “Individuals’ and outsourcing earnings in this sector have risen.”
Mentioning Accenture’s exit from Bangladesh, Jabbar said, “The EPB’s data can’t be taken into account despite Accenture’s exit is counted as a negative example.”
“It’s not the normal scenario of the software export.”
“Our (software sector’s) access to the markets in Japan and Africa has been extended. So, I found no logical reason to say that export earnings from software sector see downtrend,” argued Jabbar.
According to the minister, export in software sector witnessed positive trend and growth after the government announced a 10-percent incentive.
Industry insiders, however, said doubt always looms over EPB’s and BBS’ reports on ‘export earning’ as most parts of those reports were prepared on estimation, not prepared with any formal survey data.
BASIS President Syed Almas Khan told Bangla Tribune.
“With the EPB’s figure, the earnings of freelancers, software developers and call centres is added that makes a total of $800 million,”
The BASIS prepared the date on basis of it informal survey on software and IT-enabled services.
“The BASIS will carry out a formal survey to calculate the real figure,” Almas said.