AL to give priority to resolving current power crisis, if elected
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
Awami League (AL) Chief Sheikh Hasina said Tuesday if elected her government would prioritise actions for resolving the current power and energy crisis, bdnews24.com reports.
Speaking at a luncheon meeting of American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) at the city's Sheraton Hotel, she said: "The first condition of development is investment and a friendly atmosphere for that and for this reason we are looking forward to increase power generation capacity to 7,000 megawatts by 2012."
She also focused on special measures to attract expatriate Bangladeshis' to invest in the country, and stressed the need for taming high commodity prices as one of her top priorities if it comes to power.
Identifying poverty as the "biggest enemy", she said her government would ensure that the number of poor people come down to 45 million (4.5 crore) by 2013, from the existing 65 million (6.5 crore), and down to 22 million (2.2 crore) by 2021, in line with the AL's 'Vision: 2021' targets.
"The former prime minister re-affirmed the economic pledges of her party's election manifesto.
Stressing energy and power shortage as one of the gravest problems, she said that they would opt for a "coordinated energy policy" and measures for regional energy security.
Coal would be mined keeping the national interest in mind and steps to initiate coal-based industries would be also taken, she said.
The Rooppur nuclear power project would also be resumed.
The AL president promised to modernise government agencies like the Board of Investment, Export Promotion Bureau and the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies for facilitating doing business cost-effectively.
She said her government would also focus on promoting major industries such as garments, food processing, ship building and tourism, while highlighting jute as an environment-friendly product.
For sustainable economic development in the wake of globalisation, Bangladesh needs to diversify exports, create new markets and have a foreign direct investment (FDI)-friendly environment, she told the chamber.
She also highlighted the need for properly developing and training up, the country's most valuable resource -- manpower.
Hasina expressed the hope that the developed economies of the world would come forward to assist Bangladesh in its journey towards an emerging economy.
Sheikh Hasina urged the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to revise their policies to enable the developing countries to cope with the crises such as the current global slowdown.
The former prime minister also said a quick recovery of the world economy was necessary for the country's economic development and for the successes of the next government's poverty reduction programmes.
"There has been a call to the international financial system to intervene so as to avoid global depression," she said.
"It is time that the international financial institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, revisited their policies based on the dominant economic paradigm," Hasina said, reading from a written speech.
"They need to restructure their policies and instruments to be able to respond to the crisis facing developing economies, the low income countries in particular."
"A quick and dramatic upturn of the global economy is necessary for sustaining our plan for accelerated growth and poverty reduction," she said.
On the AL position on anti-graft measures, Hasina said: "We see that the Anti-Corruption Commission should enjoy full independence."
"They should carry out the drive against corruption, not against politics," she added, pointedly.
Referring to her meeting with the country's business leaders earlier in the day, Sheikh Hasina said the immediate-past BNP government did not produce a single megawatt of electricity from 2001 to 2006. She told the AmCham meeting, if voted to power, her government would prioritise actions to help enhance electricity generation.
The AL chief also said it would work with other South Asian countries to curb regional terrorism and militancy.
"We shall maintain friendly relations with the neighbouring countries including Bhutan, India, Myanmar and Nepal while pursuing cooperation in multilateral frameworks.
"We seek to establish South Asian Task Force to combat terrorism and militancy," she said.
The US ambassador James F Moriarty, the British high commissioner Stephen Evans, diplomats from other missions and businessmen were present at the meeting at the Dhaka Sheraton.
AmCham President Syed Ershad Ahmed chaired the meeting.
UNB adds: Former premier Sheikh Hasina said if her party formed the next government, the opposition would be accommodated as she wants to work together with all MPs and parties for the common good of the nation.
"We can show that magnanimity--and we did it actually after winning the elections in 1996," the Awami League chief said at the AmCham luncheon meeting.
Responding to a question, Hasina said she had offered the posts of Deputy Speaker, cabinet members and chairman of several parliamentary standing committees, but they refused. "We hope this time they would change their mindset."
"Governance is a continuous process. After assuming power in 1996 we tried to improve some projects initiated by the previous (BNP) government," she said, deploring that the BNP-led alliance government coming to power in 2001 scrapped all good projects of her government.
Speaking at a luncheon meeting of American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) at the city's Sheraton Hotel, she said: "The first condition of development is investment and a friendly atmosphere for that and for this reason we are looking forward to increase power generation capacity to 7,000 megawatts by 2012."
She also focused on special measures to attract expatriate Bangladeshis' to invest in the country, and stressed the need for taming high commodity prices as one of her top priorities if it comes to power.
Identifying poverty as the "biggest enemy", she said her government would ensure that the number of poor people come down to 45 million (4.5 crore) by 2013, from the existing 65 million (6.5 crore), and down to 22 million (2.2 crore) by 2021, in line with the AL's 'Vision: 2021' targets.
"The former prime minister re-affirmed the economic pledges of her party's election manifesto.
Stressing energy and power shortage as one of the gravest problems, she said that they would opt for a "coordinated energy policy" and measures for regional energy security.
Coal would be mined keeping the national interest in mind and steps to initiate coal-based industries would be also taken, she said.
The Rooppur nuclear power project would also be resumed.
The AL president promised to modernise government agencies like the Board of Investment, Export Promotion Bureau and the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies for facilitating doing business cost-effectively.
She said her government would also focus on promoting major industries such as garments, food processing, ship building and tourism, while highlighting jute as an environment-friendly product.
For sustainable economic development in the wake of globalisation, Bangladesh needs to diversify exports, create new markets and have a foreign direct investment (FDI)-friendly environment, she told the chamber.
She also highlighted the need for properly developing and training up, the country's most valuable resource -- manpower.
Hasina expressed the hope that the developed economies of the world would come forward to assist Bangladesh in its journey towards an emerging economy.
Sheikh Hasina urged the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to revise their policies to enable the developing countries to cope with the crises such as the current global slowdown.
The former prime minister also said a quick recovery of the world economy was necessary for the country's economic development and for the successes of the next government's poverty reduction programmes.
"There has been a call to the international financial system to intervene so as to avoid global depression," she said.
"It is time that the international financial institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, revisited their policies based on the dominant economic paradigm," Hasina said, reading from a written speech.
"They need to restructure their policies and instruments to be able to respond to the crisis facing developing economies, the low income countries in particular."
"A quick and dramatic upturn of the global economy is necessary for sustaining our plan for accelerated growth and poverty reduction," she said.
On the AL position on anti-graft measures, Hasina said: "We see that the Anti-Corruption Commission should enjoy full independence."
"They should carry out the drive against corruption, not against politics," she added, pointedly.
Referring to her meeting with the country's business leaders earlier in the day, Sheikh Hasina said the immediate-past BNP government did not produce a single megawatt of electricity from 2001 to 2006. She told the AmCham meeting, if voted to power, her government would prioritise actions to help enhance electricity generation.
The AL chief also said it would work with other South Asian countries to curb regional terrorism and militancy.
"We shall maintain friendly relations with the neighbouring countries including Bhutan, India, Myanmar and Nepal while pursuing cooperation in multilateral frameworks.
"We seek to establish South Asian Task Force to combat terrorism and militancy," she said.
The US ambassador James F Moriarty, the British high commissioner Stephen Evans, diplomats from other missions and businessmen were present at the meeting at the Dhaka Sheraton.
AmCham President Syed Ershad Ahmed chaired the meeting.
UNB adds: Former premier Sheikh Hasina said if her party formed the next government, the opposition would be accommodated as she wants to work together with all MPs and parties for the common good of the nation.
"We can show that magnanimity--and we did it actually after winning the elections in 1996," the Awami League chief said at the AmCham luncheon meeting.
Responding to a question, Hasina said she had offered the posts of Deputy Speaker, cabinet members and chairman of several parliamentary standing committees, but they refused. "We hope this time they would change their mindset."
"Governance is a continuous process. After assuming power in 1996 we tried to improve some projects initiated by the previous (BNP) government," she said, deploring that the BNP-led alliance government coming to power in 2001 scrapped all good projects of her government.