Despite remaining outside the count of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the contribution of the service sector, particularly decorators, recruiting agencies, security and cleaning services, is growing remarkably in the economy. This was revealed in a survey of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) on selected business services 2012, released on June 30. It noted had the real value of security, cleaning and sweeping, decoration and the recruiting agency sectors been added to the GDP, the size of the country’s GDP would have been up by 0.48 per cent in FY 2012–13.
The survey also found that the contribution of these four sectors in the GDP was to the tune of Tk. 32,282 million and Tk. 38,562 million in 2009–10 and 2010–11, respectively. There are reportedly a total of 18,931 agencies in the country under these sectors.
Since starting its journey in 1990, the decoration industry has expanded rapidly, the report said, adding that the “services in the business have been expanded to even smaller townships in the country”.
The sector employs a total of 11,100 workers, including 5,534 women, with an average monthly income of Tk. 2,883. Expansion, development and sustainability of this sector will increase its contribution to the economy.
The BBS said that there is a potential for further employment generation if this business can be better organised.
It noted that a total of 279,084 people are working as security guards at various organisations and contributing “silently” to the economy. A security guard gets Tk. 7, 200 per month as salary.
The BBS found that this business is also a growing one which may contribute to the national economy.
About the recruiting services, the BBS said that it contributed Tk. 5,616 million in FY 2009–10 and Tk. 5,616 million in FY 2010–11. A total of 3,396 people are working in the recruiting agencies throughout the country. The monthly average salary of an employee in this profession is Tk. 10,674, which is higher than other sectors.
The BBS further said that the cleaning services also expanded as the people do not wait for the services of the city corporations. This business has mainly spread during the last decade. In FY 2009–10, this sector earned Tk. 318 million, while it earned Tk. 379 million in FY 2010-11.
-With The Independent input
