Govt awaits WB response: Muhith

FE ReportFinance Minister AMA Muhith said Tuesday it is not possible for the government to move ahead with the Padma Bridge Project without having a response from World Bank (WB) to the request for making available fund for the project. "I need to have their response first on Padma issue. We cannot move forward until we get their (WB) response," Muhith told reporters at his office after holding a meeting with a delegation from the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) and AusAid. He reiterated that stern action would be taken if anyone found involved in wrongdoing in the implementation of the Padma Bridge. The finance minister, replying to a question, said he was yet to receive the report prepared by the Core Committee on transit. The report will be made public after it is available, he said. Muhith declined to make any comment on free-fall of share prices, saying "It is the job of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to deal with the issues of share market." About the meeting with the DFID and AusAid delegation, Muhith said that they had recommended imparting training to elderly and disabled ones, now under country's social safety net programme, to enable them for taking part in income-generating activities. He said apart from the old and disabled, the population below the poverty line should be trained so that they could earn their living. The NGOs could be involved in this regard, he added. On settling the longstanding issue of Jubo Karmasangsthan Society (Jubok), Muhith said that he would soon issue specific directives to solve the problems. "An approach of arbitration might be taken to solve problems between Jubok and its depositors," Muhith told reporters. "Our prime objective is to help out the victims of Jubok," he added. The probe body on Jubok, headed by the former BB governor Dr Mohammad Farash Uddin Ahmed, was established in January 2010. It submitted its report to the government in December, 2010. In the report, it suggested establishment of a permanent commission to ensure refund of the deposit that the controversial lender had collected from the clients. Accordingly, a Permanent Commission was established about six months back to settle the issue. However, no tangible progress has so far been made by the Commission, Muhith told the reporters. According to the report of the inquiry commission, about 275,000 clients of Jubok demanded refund of Tk 2.10 billion. On the other hand, the assets of Jubok are worth above Tk 30 billion, which is more than its liabilities on account of its clients.