Online Desk: The Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka (MCCI), in collaboration with Policy Exchange Bangladesh (PEB), organised a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with journalists on the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for Bangladesh.

The programme was held at MCCI’s Motijheel office with the support of the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) on Saturday.

The primary objective of the FGD was to raise awareness about the recently launched PMI for Bangladesh so that the national media could accurately document and cover it.

The PMI is a leading economic indicator that helps understand the economic health of a country. It provides insights into key economic sectors and captures early trends. The PMI data index is compiled from monthly surveys of private sector enterprises. The programme was formally launched in Bangladesh on February 5, 2024.

In his welcome remarks, the MCCI Secretary-General and CEO said that the PMI was already in use in many countries to gauge the economic health of a nation.

The purpose of this FGD was to disseminate information and effectively convey the details of the PMI to the media community, facilitating their documentation and coverage. He was confident that it would bring clarity to many matters.

The PEB Chairman said that since the PMI offered quantified descriptions, comparison and quantification were possible. Although the PMI was launched in early February 2024, there was 1.5 years of preparation behind it. He believed it would be beneficial for making decisions and policies.

Hasnat Alam, Senior Manager, Market and Policy Advisory, PEB, gave a brief presentation on the PMI programme, followed by an open discussion.

It was clarified that the PMI will simply reveal the variance in economic activity, not exact figures sensitive to businesses.