For achieving higher economic growth
Ahmed Showkat Masud | Friday, 15 August 2008
IF we ride on rickshaws, we often find that the 'rickshawallas' are new. It happens mostly in Dhaka and Chittagong. If we ask the rickshaw-pullers about why they have come to the cities like Dhaka and Chittagong, they reply that they were unemployed in their own locality where from they have come to work in cities like Dhaka and Chittagong.
The rickshawallas/rickshaw-pullers are seasonal unemployed persons in their locality from where they came. Now, the low land areas of our country have been witnessing the rainy season. That is why some of them -- the rickshaw pullers -- have come to the cities like Dhaka and Chittagong. Besides seasonal unemployment, there is another case for why the migrant workers come to the big cities. The cause is economic disparity among cities. If we could ensure regional and income equity among the cities of our country, then that would have provide, what we can say, food security for the workforce of the country.
Food is the item that is scarce for the labour force who come to the cities to get a job as a day-labourer or a rickshaw-puller. If the a government and the entrepreneurs could ensure regional development of all cities along with villages, then poverty alleviation efforts will receive a boost in order to reduce income inequality. That will help the labour force to stay in their own locality.
Removing economic disparity will result in food security. If anybody can feed his or her family in his or her own cities or villages, then, why should the underprivileged and disadvantaged ones migrate to the major cities?
No doubt, the world has been facing an economic slow-down. Our country has been facing the same. Because, we are living in a global village. An economic shock in the USA or the European Union (EU) does certainly affect our economy. Rate of interest on institutional credits has gone up. Our government has taken a large amount of loan from the banks to finance the budget deficit. Despite oil price-hike and hyper-inflation, the government is trying to achieve higher economic growth.
Accelerated economic growth in China and India has created additional aggregate domestic demand in many developing countries. The USA has been trying its best to overcome the economic slowdown that it has been facing. All these are positive indicators for our country's economic growth. Joint efforts by the government and the entrepreneurs can lead the way to make an optimum use of such opportunities for accelerated growth of our market economy.
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The writer works with ONE Bank Ltd., Jubilee Road Branch, Chittagong
The rickshawallas/rickshaw-pullers are seasonal unemployed persons in their locality from where they came. Now, the low land areas of our country have been witnessing the rainy season. That is why some of them -- the rickshaw pullers -- have come to the cities like Dhaka and Chittagong. Besides seasonal unemployment, there is another case for why the migrant workers come to the big cities. The cause is economic disparity among cities. If we could ensure regional and income equity among the cities of our country, then that would have provide, what we can say, food security for the workforce of the country.
Food is the item that is scarce for the labour force who come to the cities to get a job as a day-labourer or a rickshaw-puller. If the a government and the entrepreneurs could ensure regional development of all cities along with villages, then poverty alleviation efforts will receive a boost in order to reduce income inequality. That will help the labour force to stay in their own locality.
Removing economic disparity will result in food security. If anybody can feed his or her family in his or her own cities or villages, then, why should the underprivileged and disadvantaged ones migrate to the major cities?
No doubt, the world has been facing an economic slow-down. Our country has been facing the same. Because, we are living in a global village. An economic shock in the USA or the European Union (EU) does certainly affect our economy. Rate of interest on institutional credits has gone up. Our government has taken a large amount of loan from the banks to finance the budget deficit. Despite oil price-hike and hyper-inflation, the government is trying to achieve higher economic growth.
Accelerated economic growth in China and India has created additional aggregate domestic demand in many developing countries. The USA has been trying its best to overcome the economic slowdown that it has been facing. All these are positive indicators for our country's economic growth. Joint efforts by the government and the entrepreneurs can lead the way to make an optimum use of such opportunities for accelerated growth of our market economy.
.......................................................
The writer works with ONE Bank Ltd., Jubilee Road Branch, Chittagong