Desk Report
Publish: 22 Mar 2022, 04:06 pm
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in ECNEC meeting || Photo: Collected
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council
(ECNEC) today approved a Taka 2,555.25 crore big project to enhance the
capacity of the urban local government bodies in their recovery from the
Covid-19 pandemic alongside strengthening their preparedness in facing such
situation in the future.
The approval came in the 12th ECNEC meeting of the current
fiscal year (FY22) held today with the ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The Premier joined the meeting virtually from her official
Ganobhaban residence while Ministers, State Ministers, Planning Commission
members and Secretaries concerned attended the meeting from the NEC Conference
Room in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA
Mannan said that a total of 12 projects were approved today involving an
overall estimated cost of Taka 15,744.56 crore.
"Of the total project cost, Taka 11,674.83 crore will
come from the government of Bangladesh portion, Taka 1.20 crore from the
concerned organization's own fund while the rest of Taka 4,068.53 crore from
project assistance," he added.
Of the approved 12 projects, 11 are new while another one is
a revised project.
Revealing some directives of the Premier in the meeting, the
Planning Minister said that the Prime Minister asked the authorities concerned
to increase afforestation in the coastal areas as well as expanding the
coverage of the mangrove forests.
Sheikh Hasina stressed the need for expanding cultivation of
the soybean and sunflower in the county to produce more edible oil to meet the
growing demand.
But, more research is needed in this regard for which
necessary funding will be ensured.
The Prime Minister asked the authorities concerned to ensure
culverts on the roads in the rural areas so that the natural flow of water is
not hindered. Besides, she stressed that the bridges should have to be built in
such height so that the boats and other river vessels can easily move under the
bridges.
State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said the Premier
observed that if the successors of the lower level Bangladesh Railway staffs
(cleaner, signaling staff) have proper qualifications, then the existing quota
of maximum 40 percent could be continued for them.
At the very outset of the meeting, the Planning Minister
said that the ECNEC greeted the Premier for attaining 100 percent electricity
coverage in the country alongside inaugurating the Payra Power Plant.
To rein in the inflation trend, Mannan said that the
government has increased market intervention while essential items are being
provided to some one crore families at an affordable price.
"It's expected that the bite of inflation is reducing
and hopefully within the next few days, the inflation trend will be under
control," he added.
Mannan said the major macroeconomic indicators are now
strong while the inward remittance flow is also positive.
Answering to a question, he said that the government
respects the opinions and studies of others including various think tanks.
But, based on the data of the Bangladesh Bureau of
Statistics and other government agencies, good results are coming out in terms
of per capita income, power usage and life expectancy.
State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said that
despite the global inflation trend alongside the war between Russia and
Ukraine, the government has been handling the inflation situation nicely
compared to other countries.
He informed that the general point to point inflation rate
is 6.1 percent in Bangladesh which is 15.1 percent in Sri Lanka, 12.2 percent
in Pakistan, 10.4 percent in Brazil, 340 percent in Venezuela, 52.3 percent in
Argentina, 54.4 percent in Turkey and 9 percent in UK.
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