Vision paper 2021 gets nod of planning commission

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FE Report
The planning commission Wednesday approved the country's vision paper 2021, the first of its kind, which targets double-digit growth and cutting poverty 14 per cent by the financial year 202l, officials said.
A steering committee, headed by planning minister AK Khandoker, discussed the pros and cons of the draft "Perspective Plan 2021" at a meeting and advised the authorities concerned to finalise it.
"We have got the green signal of the steering committee today. Now it will be placed before the cabinet for discussion," Prof Shamsul Alam, member- secretary of the steering committee, said.
After the cabinet's discussion the vision paper will be placed before the country's highest development policy approval body-National Economic Council- within this month for approval before finalisation, Prof Alam told the FE.
The General Economics Division (GED) in late last year started preparing the country's first-ever long-term vision paper, which reflected the election pledges of the ruling Awami League.
It also vowed to cut the unemployment rate to 15 per cent from the existing about 40 per cent thus raising per capita income to US$ 2000 by the financial year 2021 from the exiting $680.
The major focus of the vision paper is to graduate the country to a middle-income economy by the FY2021.
Prof Alam, also the member of GED, said after getting the green signal of the steering committee Wednesday morning they have sent the draft vision paper to the cabinet division for placing before the cabinet.
"I hope the cabinet will give us necessary suggestions. We will try to reflect the cabinet's suggestions in the draft document. Then we will place it before the NEC for launching the long-term vision paper," he said.
The GED officials said the draft perspective plan has targeted generation of total 20,000 megawatts (mw) power by the 2021 where wind, solar, coal and nuclear resources will get preference.