'Better Business Forum' within a week

---

FE Report
Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed said Tuesday the government will constitute a high-powered Better Business Forum within a week to provide a boost to the country's trade and investment activities at both the domestic and international levels.
The head of the caretaker government made the announcement during his meeting with secretaries of all ministries, which was held at the conference room of the Cabinet Division at the Secretariat.
Various issues including the government's on-going administrative reforms, good governance, implementation of development projects, decentralisation of administrative power, price-hike of essential commodities etc., were discussed at the meeting, the Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Monaim told the post-meeting press briefing.
Fakhruddin directed the concerned government agencies to complete necessary formalities by December of every financial year for the sake of timely implementation of the development projects within the stipulated timeframe, the Press Secretary informed the newsmen.
About proper implementation of the government's development and reforms programmes, Fakhruddin was quoted as saying, "Now, our main focus should be on 'output and outcome', instead of 'input and process' previously."
He also asked the secretaries of the relevant ministries to take necessary administrative measurers for creation of a level-paying field for holding the next general elections in a free and fair manner by December 2008.
About the establishment of good governance, the CA advised the top civil servants to deliver better services in order to ensure the maximum benefit to the people.
"The government's current move to establish good governance has been taken for the benefit of the people," Fahim said, quoting the CA from his address to the secretaries.
Fakhruddin, however, informed the secretaries that a committee, which had already been formed for establishing good governance, would soon submit its recommendation to the government.
On decentralisation of administrative functions, he suggested that the secretaries should initiate the process of delegating some of their decision-making powers to others concerned in this regard.
The government has successfully conducted its relief operations during the recent floods with the helps of defense forces, non-government organisations (NGOs) and members of the civil society, the CA said, adding that now it was the time for strengthening the rehabilitation works.
Against this backdrop, he advised the concerned agencies to assess the losses caused due to the latest floods and properly monitor the government's post-flood rehabilitation programme, Fahim said, adding that the CA also said the government would launch its test relief (TR) and other social safety net programmes shortly.
He directed the relevant authorities to ensure that the flood-hit farmers get agri-credit and the public subsidy on fertilisers accordingly, Fahim mentioned.
The CA also underscored the need for proper monitoring and supervision to ensure the smooth supply of fertiliser to the farmers at the subsidised rates.
Identifying external factor as the major reason behind the current price-hike of most essential commodities in the local market, the CA laid emphasis on boosting domestic production to help rein in such inflation.
About the separation of judiciary, the CA said it is also necessary to equally make two other state organs - executive and legislation - effective and vibrant.
A process is on to run the local government agencies independently like the judiciary, he informed the meeting.
The Secretaries of Cabinet Division, Finance Foreign Affairs, Textile and Jute, Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD), Environment and Forest, Primary and Mass Education, Law and Establishment spoke, among others, at the meeting, Fahim told the press briefing.
Mentioning that the fixed-income people are badly hit by the swelling price-hike of essential commodities, Textile and Jute Secretary Abdur Rashid Sarkar said the government should consider providing DA (dearness allowance) to its employees to cope with the situation.
The CA, however, told the meeting that the Finance Secretary would examine the possibility of providing such DA.
Establishment Secretary Salam Khan also proposed for enactment of a 'Civil Service Act' in the country while the Law Secretary in charge also suggested that the government should consider enacting a law in order to deal with cases of 'contempt'.
The meting was further told that the newly enforced 'Mobile Court Ordinance' could be upgraded with inclusion of some provisions to make it effective and time-bound.
The Agriculture Secretary informed the meeting that a total of 76 markets would be set up across the country to sell agri-products, aiming to help check their current price-hike.
UNB adds: Addressing the top servants, Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said his caretaker government wants to strengthen the local government to ensure transparency and accountability and also to reach its services to the people at the grassroots.
He told them that a high-powered experts committee, formed earlier, would submit its recommendations next month on strengthening the structure of local government in the country.
This was the Chief Adviser's third formal meeting with the secretaries after assuming office on January 12 this year.
Fakhruddin said strengthening of local government was one sort of separation of powers from the central government, which was located in Dhaka while the local government remained at other parts of the country.
He said various institutional reforms had already been taken and some others were being taken to further strengthen the foundation of good governance and democracy in the country to fulfil the aspirations of the people. He expressed the hope that institutional reforms would continue in the future as well.
On prices of essentials, the Chief Adviser said the government had taken a number of steps to check the price-hike of essentials that produced some positive results. But the desired downtrend in prices did not come due to increased prices in the international market.
He said the government would continue its efforts to control price-hike, but increasing supply was important for controlling prices and to increase supply it was necessary to raise production. The government would have to play the key role in this regard.
For increasing agricultural production, he said the government had taken some short and mid-term measures, which would have to be implemented successfully. Some good results might be achieved during the next crop season.
He also mentioned the government's food safety nets for poor people including vulnerable group feeding (VGF), test relief and food-for-work programmes to feed the poor and the destitute.
About fertiliser, he said that the government had a plan to import the needed fertiliser in time.
On post-flood rehabilitation, Fakhruddin said agricultural rehabilitation was important and a priority task for the government. Supply of agricultural inputs to the farmers was a challenge for the government for increasing agricultural production to recoup the loss of crops caused by two successive floods.
The pace of the ongoing works for repair of physical infrastructure and embankments would have to be expedited and these should also be monitored with diligence, he said.
Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Majumder, who conducted the meeting, in his welcome address, said the present government had so far implemented 187 of its total 273 decisions and promulgated 20 ordinances of public importance.
Dr Fakhruddin asked for preparing lists of incomplete matters by the ministries and offices, and for monitoring those for quick disposal so that people could be benefited.
Finance Secretary Dr. Tareque presented an overall picture of the country's economic situation and pointed out that inflation kept rising.
He sought policy guideline from the Chief Adviser for tackling the situation.
Primary and Mass Education Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan suggested for giving proper guidelines in dealing with the Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) queries.
Industries Secretary Ruhul Amin said the government should look into the reason why the domestic investment is on the decline.
Foreign Secretary Towhid Hossain suggested that international norms should be maintained while entertaining foreign diplomats in the country and during their call-on meetings.
Communications Secretary Mahbubur Rahman said the government officials who were made officers on special duty (OSD) should be given postings, considering their merits and efficiencies for the sake of utilising the available human resources in the public sector.