Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Thursday expressed hop that the country would be free from poverty by 2018 as various poverty alleviation programmes undertaken by both government and non-government organisations are being implemented successfully across the country.
"Extreme poverty will be reduced in the country within the next 4 years and there will be none below the extreme poverty level after 2021," said the minister while addressing a seminar on poverty alleviation, organised by the Social Development Foundation (SDF) at the LGED auditorium in the capital on Thursday.
Bangladesh has been struggling for a long time to reduce the incidence of poverty and in recent years, the minister said, the country made significant progress in reducing poverty.
Mr Muhith said the country's poverty level declined to 25 per cent in 2014 from about 60 per cent in early 90s.
"We hope to reduce the poverty level below 15 per cent by 2018," said the Minister.
The Finance Minister, however, said it was not possible to reduce poverty level to zero and no country could do that. Many of them consider the level below 14 per cent as 'free from poverty', he pointed out.
He, however, said the country had to chalk out a social safety programme for the remaining 14 per cent.
The Minister pointed out that extreme poverty would be totally eliminated from the country much earlier than the World Bank agenda for the global community to remove it by 2030.
Citing various micro-credit programmes undertaken by about 28,000 NGOs and government organisations, the Minister said, the government laid special emphasis on poverty alleviation and pledged to eradicate poverty through planned economic development.
To make the SDF's social credit programme more sustainable, the Finance Minister pleaded for increasing the lending rate from the present 10 per cent. Otherwise, he feared that the beneficiaries of the project might face more difficulties when the programme will be over.
Besides natural calamities like floods, cyclones, the Minister said, Bangladesh was facing various man-made disasters including serious health hazards. "Death of an income-generating member very often ruins the whole family," said the Minister urging all to come forward to improve the country's health system", specially building rural health infrastructure.
"Besides the government, innovative ideas of various welfare organisations will help develop the overall health system, he added.
Presided over by Banking and Financial Institutions Secretary Dr M Aslam Alam, the programme was also addressed among others by State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan, World Bank Operations Advisor Ms. Christie E. Kimes, SDF Chairman MI Chowdhury and Managing Director AZM Sakhawat Hossain and BIDS Research Director Dr Binayak Sen. BIDS senior fellow Dr Monzur Hossain presented the keynote paper on the subject epecially on 'Notun Jiban' project of the SDF.
The SDF, a non-profit organisation, set up by the government with financial assistance from the World Bank to promote socio-economic development activities among the rural poor, organised the seminar highlight about its achievements and seek suggestions and recommendations from policy-level actors.
A large number of SDF beneficiaries, representatives from various government and non-government organisations and development workers attended the seminar.
Three grassroots level beneficiaries from Jamalpur, Rangpur and Barisal, all young female entrepreneurs, narrated their stories of struggles and achievements which they attained due to the SDF's social investment programme aimed at improving livelihood, quality of life and resilience to natural hazards and other shocks.
Addressing the seminar, State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan said despite political turmoil, the country experienced rapid economic growth and improving economic conditions.
"We could reduce the incidence of poverty and improve the living standard of millions of impoverished people across the country because of concerted efforts of all ," said the State Minister urging all to concentrate more on social investment.
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