Call for withdrawal of restriction on manpower export
Monday, 24 November 2008
Experts at a seminar Sunday urged the government to exert pressure on the developed countries at the upcoming UN conference on Financing for Development (FfD) in Doha to lift all kinds of restrictions on Bangladesh to ensure skilled manpower unhindered access to labour markets of those countries, reports UNB.
The discussants also called on donor countries to refrain from indulging in interfering internal affairs of Bangladesh.
"Since the independence of the country, we have been observing that the rich countries are imposing various kinds of arbitrary conditions on us while giving financial aid. Thus, those countries have been interfering in the country's internal affairs," Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) president Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman told the seminar.
UK based ActionAid in collaboration with Development Research Network (DNet) organised the seminar on 'Finance or Development: What do we Expect from Doha?' held at CIRDAP auditorium in the city.
Krisi Bank Chairman Ibrahim Khaled attended the seminar as the special guest. ActionAid Country Director Farah Kabir chaired the seminar.
Effective aid flows, external debt burden, free movement of human workforce and alternative finance issues featured mainly during the deliberations.
"We are not getting technology but we are getting extensive suggestions and directions from different countries and bodies but we need to develop through creating our self dependent mechanism." Dr Kholiquzzaman said.
DNet Executive Director Dr Ananya Raihan said that Bangladesh should present specific proposal in Doha conference for financing a 10-year capacity building programme. Bangladesh should secure manpower export in all skilled categories as a result of successful completion of Doha negotiations on mode 4 under the GATS.
He mentioned that necessary condition for getting any benefit was to provide market access under mode 4 in all skill categories, and the sufficient condition was to finance supply capacity building. One without the other would be a zero-sum game for Bangladesh.
The discussants also called on donor countries to refrain from indulging in interfering internal affairs of Bangladesh.
"Since the independence of the country, we have been observing that the rich countries are imposing various kinds of arbitrary conditions on us while giving financial aid. Thus, those countries have been interfering in the country's internal affairs," Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) president Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman told the seminar.
UK based ActionAid in collaboration with Development Research Network (DNet) organised the seminar on 'Finance or Development: What do we Expect from Doha?' held at CIRDAP auditorium in the city.
Krisi Bank Chairman Ibrahim Khaled attended the seminar as the special guest. ActionAid Country Director Farah Kabir chaired the seminar.
Effective aid flows, external debt burden, free movement of human workforce and alternative finance issues featured mainly during the deliberations.
"We are not getting technology but we are getting extensive suggestions and directions from different countries and bodies but we need to develop through creating our self dependent mechanism." Dr Kholiquzzaman said.
DNet Executive Director Dr Ananya Raihan said that Bangladesh should present specific proposal in Doha conference for financing a 10-year capacity building programme. Bangladesh should secure manpower export in all skilled categories as a result of successful completion of Doha negotiations on mode 4 under the GATS.
He mentioned that necessary condition for getting any benefit was to provide market access under mode 4 in all skill categories, and the sufficient condition was to finance supply capacity building. One without the other would be a zero-sum game for Bangladesh.