Motia blames govt for destroying cash crops on IMF-WB prescription
Friday, 14 September 2007
Former minister for Agriculture and Awami League (AL) leader Motia Chowdhury Thursday blamed the government for destroying country's potential cash crops following what she said prescription of two donor agencies, reports UNB.
"We are gradually losing our cash crops. Farmers are not showing interest in cultivating jute and sugarcane as the government shows reluctance towards these crops", the AL leader said, as experts took a fresh look at the country's economic health.
They re-appraised the economic situation based on a study titled 'Markets and Prices: Findings from a Triangular Study of Producers, Traders and Consumers' jointly organised by Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and the Ministry of Commerce at the LGED Bhaban in the city Thursday.
Adviser for Finance and Planning AB Mirza Azizul Islam attended the seminar as the chief guest while Adviser for Agriculture CS Karim as the guest of honour.
PPRC Executive Director Hossain Zillur Rahman read out the summary of the study in the seminar.
Economist Wahiduddin Mahmud and former Agriculture Minister and BNP leader MK Anwar also spoke on the state of economy.
"We will have nothing to do except for using jute ropes for hanging ourselves as the government is continuously closing down the jute mills as per prescription of the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)", Motia said.
She also fulminated that voice of the poor farmers failed to reach the ears of the finance and the industries advisers of the present government.
The ex-minister suggested that if the government helped the farmers, it would be good for the country to pull people up from below the poverty line.
Directly denying the allegation of the former agriculture minister, the Finance Adviser said his interim government did not close down the jute mills as per advice of the WB or the IMF.
Defending his government's decision to shut down four jute mills recently, the adviser said that since 1992, government has funneled Tk 75 billion (7,500 crore) into the jute sector.
"Even after taking charge of the Finance Ministry I gave Tk 3.0 billion to this sector. How long could this continue”? he said.
Reaffirming his stance against appreciation of the Bangladeshi taka against the US dollar, he said this would widen trade gap, reduce remittance flow and thin the foreign reserves.
Agriculture Adviser CS Karim struck a note of concern that it was not far off when 'we will fail to get any food grain to import".
Wahiduddin Mahmud emphasised building a structure to control the market system. "But, before that, we have to understand the market. Otherwise, it will be boomerang on us."
"We are gradually losing our cash crops. Farmers are not showing interest in cultivating jute and sugarcane as the government shows reluctance towards these crops", the AL leader said, as experts took a fresh look at the country's economic health.
They re-appraised the economic situation based on a study titled 'Markets and Prices: Findings from a Triangular Study of Producers, Traders and Consumers' jointly organised by Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and the Ministry of Commerce at the LGED Bhaban in the city Thursday.
Adviser for Finance and Planning AB Mirza Azizul Islam attended the seminar as the chief guest while Adviser for Agriculture CS Karim as the guest of honour.
PPRC Executive Director Hossain Zillur Rahman read out the summary of the study in the seminar.
Economist Wahiduddin Mahmud and former Agriculture Minister and BNP leader MK Anwar also spoke on the state of economy.
"We will have nothing to do except for using jute ropes for hanging ourselves as the government is continuously closing down the jute mills as per prescription of the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)", Motia said.
She also fulminated that voice of the poor farmers failed to reach the ears of the finance and the industries advisers of the present government.
The ex-minister suggested that if the government helped the farmers, it would be good for the country to pull people up from below the poverty line.
Directly denying the allegation of the former agriculture minister, the Finance Adviser said his interim government did not close down the jute mills as per advice of the WB or the IMF.
Defending his government's decision to shut down four jute mills recently, the adviser said that since 1992, government has funneled Tk 75 billion (7,500 crore) into the jute sector.
"Even after taking charge of the Finance Ministry I gave Tk 3.0 billion to this sector. How long could this continue”? he said.
Reaffirming his stance against appreciation of the Bangladeshi taka against the US dollar, he said this would widen trade gap, reduce remittance flow and thin the foreign reserves.
Agriculture Adviser CS Karim struck a note of concern that it was not far off when 'we will fail to get any food grain to import".
Wahiduddin Mahmud emphasised building a structure to control the market system. "But, before that, we have to understand the market. Otherwise, it will be boomerang on us."