Planning Commission to sit with experts today
Thursday, 24 December 2009
FHM Humayan Kabir
The Planning Commission will sit with energy, agriculture and development experts today (Thursday) to finalise the draft "perspective plan 2021", which will show the path to graduate Bangladesh into a middle-income country achieving double-digit economic growth, officials said.
The planning ministry officials said, to be presided over by Planning Minister AK Khandokar five separate discussion meetings with expert groups would be held up to second week of January aimed at finalising the country's vision paper which had already been drafted.
"In the first day's discussion we will take opinions of local energy, power, environment, agriculture, development and livestock experts on our draft perspective plan 2021," Member of the General Economics Division (GED) Shamsul Alam told the FE.
"After completion of five consultation meetings by mid-January 2010, we will finalise the vision paper in February next for getting final approval of the government's highest body-National Economic Council (NEC)," he said.
The government has taken move to frame a "perspective plan 2021" which would guide the nation to cut the extreme poverty to 10 per cent from the current 40 per cent and achieve double-digit economic growth by 2021, final year of its implementation period.
"We'll finalise the vision paper by February next year. It will guide the country to where it will go in 2021," said GED Member Mr. Alam.
GED officials said the draft perspective plan has targeted generation of 20,000 megawatts (mw) power by the 2021 where wind, solar, coal and nuclear resources will be get preference.
In the macro-economy sector, the vision paper has goals to boost the investment to 33 per cent from 27 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the terminal year of the perspective plan and augment savings to 30 per cent from 24 per cent of GDP.
The development guideline, first of its kind in Bangladesh, will aim to make the country's prime port Chittagong and the proposed deep-sea port at Sonadia as regional transportation hub opening for outside users, the GED officials said.
Prof. Shamsul Alam said the major election pledges of the ruling Bangladesh Awami League have been reflected in their draft perspective plan to be implemented during FY2011-FY2021.
The government has formed an expert committee, headed by AK Khandakar, comprising some economists, population experts, planners and development experts who are working to finalise the long-term development guideline.
"All the development programmes would be taken following the proposed vision paper that would help make the country a strong economy-based nation in Asia," Prof Alam said.
The planning ministry official said the proposed guideline document would show the country the path to achieve eight per cent economic growth by 2017 and double-digit growth by 2021.
Besides, it will direct the nation to achieve education for all citizens by 2014, the official said.
The Planning Commission will sit with energy, agriculture and development experts today (Thursday) to finalise the draft "perspective plan 2021", which will show the path to graduate Bangladesh into a middle-income country achieving double-digit economic growth, officials said.
The planning ministry officials said, to be presided over by Planning Minister AK Khandokar five separate discussion meetings with expert groups would be held up to second week of January aimed at finalising the country's vision paper which had already been drafted.
"In the first day's discussion we will take opinions of local energy, power, environment, agriculture, development and livestock experts on our draft perspective plan 2021," Member of the General Economics Division (GED) Shamsul Alam told the FE.
"After completion of five consultation meetings by mid-January 2010, we will finalise the vision paper in February next for getting final approval of the government's highest body-National Economic Council (NEC)," he said.
The government has taken move to frame a "perspective plan 2021" which would guide the nation to cut the extreme poverty to 10 per cent from the current 40 per cent and achieve double-digit economic growth by 2021, final year of its implementation period.
"We'll finalise the vision paper by February next year. It will guide the country to where it will go in 2021," said GED Member Mr. Alam.
GED officials said the draft perspective plan has targeted generation of 20,000 megawatts (mw) power by the 2021 where wind, solar, coal and nuclear resources will be get preference.
In the macro-economy sector, the vision paper has goals to boost the investment to 33 per cent from 27 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the terminal year of the perspective plan and augment savings to 30 per cent from 24 per cent of GDP.
The development guideline, first of its kind in Bangladesh, will aim to make the country's prime port Chittagong and the proposed deep-sea port at Sonadia as regional transportation hub opening for outside users, the GED officials said.
Prof. Shamsul Alam said the major election pledges of the ruling Bangladesh Awami League have been reflected in their draft perspective plan to be implemented during FY2011-FY2021.
The government has formed an expert committee, headed by AK Khandakar, comprising some economists, population experts, planners and development experts who are working to finalise the long-term development guideline.
"All the development programmes would be taken following the proposed vision paper that would help make the country a strong economy-based nation in Asia," Prof Alam said.
The planning ministry official said the proposed guideline document would show the country the path to achieve eight per cent economic growth by 2017 and double-digit growth by 2021.
Besides, it will direct the nation to achieve education for all citizens by 2014, the official said.