Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal yesterday said the country’s economy was performing well despite the ongoing nation-wide political unrest.
“Pace of GDP growth in the first eight months of the current fiscal year is much better compared to the same period of a year before,” the minister told the visiting IMF team while responding to a query made by the delegation at his office in the capital.
He, however, declined to disclose the current GDP growth figure for, what he said, the sake of keeping stability in the country’s economy.
Visiting delegation of International Monetary Fund (IMF) inquired about the present economic condition of the country that has been suffering from countrywide non-stop blockades and series of strikes being enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.
However, Finance Minister AHMA Muhith has recently expressed his utter doubt over achieving 7.3% GDP growth target in the current fiscal year.
After holding the meeting with the visiting IMF delegation led-by its deputy division chief, Asia and the Pacific Department, Rodrigo Cubero, at the planning commission, the minister told the reporters that IMF team focused on six major issues to be addressed for increasing the GDP growth.
The issues are-timely implementation of fast-track infrastructure project, removal of land crisis, risk management in financial sector, boosting revenue collection, effective policy and its implementation on energy sector and tackling climate change.
Regarding the six issues, the planning minister said, “The four-lane Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Mymensing will be completed this year while the Padma bridge construction work is also going on in full swing.”
The government is making its utmost efforts to generate more electricity, as works for setting up power plants in Rampal, Payra and Matarbari are underway, said the minister.
He said the government was also working hard to remove land-related crisis by using the unused public land.
Other issues, including debt to GDP ratio and millennium development goals, were also discussed at the meeting. The minister also briefed the IMF delegation about the government’s 7th five-year plan for the economic development of the country.
The IMF delegation, which arrived on February 25 in Dhaka is expected to leave on March 10.
During the visit, the mission will also meet other ministers concerned and high officials to discuss implementation of new VAT Act, which is supposed to be effective from July this year, but the government might seek time extension for implementing the new act.
