Political party reform to get priority in DFID country paper
FHM Humayan Kabir | Friday, 29 August 2008
British donor agency --Department for International Development (DFID)-is preparing a five-year country strategy for Bangladesh wherein political party reforms and political decentralisation will receive top priority, an official said.
"DFID presented their draft strategy paper to us Tuesday. It highlighted three key sectors including political party reforms and political decentralisation in their next five-year work plan to Bangladesh," said a senior official of the Economic Relations Division (ERD).
The other two priority issues in their upcoming five-year strategy are: gender equality and women's empowerment; and climate change, he said.
The country strategy paper will be launched in April 2009.
DFID's Country representative in Bangladesh Chris Austin presented their draft strategy paper to the ERD secretary Aminul Islam Bhuiyan Tuesday in Dhaka.
The UK's donor agency has had a country strategy paper for a three-year period stating May 2007. The donor agency supports Bangladesh in different development works undertaken according to the strategy paper.
In the first strategy paper it highlights governance, water and sanitation, health and education, private sector development and support to reduce poverty and vulnerability.
"Complex politics is at the heart of Bangladesh's development problems. Political uncertainty, a predatory elite and a corrupt, weak and poorly accountable civil service are undermining investment and growth. There is a lack of political will and incentives to tackle poverty. This results in a lack of faith in the political system," DFID in its new draft strategy paper said.
The UK's donor agency could ensure targeted government departments and politicians hear the voice of a wider group, including the poor, by providing the information, support and platforms to demand change, it said.
It will help to provide support to political party reform and political decentralisation, build capacity of the state to deliver basic services through targeting specific ministries like health and education, the paper said.
In the draft strategy paper, the DFID also said it will intervene to improve the state or public sector capacity, change unequal policy and legal frameworks for women, develop new generation female leaderships and economic empowerment of women.
The next country strategy paper will also support Bangladesh to improve physical protection, research/advice on adaptation, climate resilient growth and disaster management and response.
To improve the growth of Bangladesh, the upcoming plan will help to produce quality teachers and elevate basic education standard, encourage business activity, ensure more access of poor to the financial sector, ensure liveable cities by boosting basic services and attract and stimulate business activity for poor people.
Over the past three years DFID has spent over
"DFID presented their draft strategy paper to us Tuesday. It highlighted three key sectors including political party reforms and political decentralisation in their next five-year work plan to Bangladesh," said a senior official of the Economic Relations Division (ERD).
The other two priority issues in their upcoming five-year strategy are: gender equality and women's empowerment; and climate change, he said.
The country strategy paper will be launched in April 2009.
DFID's Country representative in Bangladesh Chris Austin presented their draft strategy paper to the ERD secretary Aminul Islam Bhuiyan Tuesday in Dhaka.
The UK's donor agency has had a country strategy paper for a three-year period stating May 2007. The donor agency supports Bangladesh in different development works undertaken according to the strategy paper.
In the first strategy paper it highlights governance, water and sanitation, health and education, private sector development and support to reduce poverty and vulnerability.
"Complex politics is at the heart of Bangladesh's development problems. Political uncertainty, a predatory elite and a corrupt, weak and poorly accountable civil service are undermining investment and growth. There is a lack of political will and incentives to tackle poverty. This results in a lack of faith in the political system," DFID in its new draft strategy paper said.
The UK's donor agency could ensure targeted government departments and politicians hear the voice of a wider group, including the poor, by providing the information, support and platforms to demand change, it said.
It will help to provide support to political party reform and political decentralisation, build capacity of the state to deliver basic services through targeting specific ministries like health and education, the paper said.
In the draft strategy paper, the DFID also said it will intervene to improve the state or public sector capacity, change unequal policy and legal frameworks for women, develop new generation female leaderships and economic empowerment of women.
The next country strategy paper will also support Bangladesh to improve physical protection, research/advice on adaptation, climate resilient growth and disaster management and response.
To improve the growth of Bangladesh, the upcoming plan will help to produce quality teachers and elevate basic education standard, encourage business activity, ensure more access of poor to the financial sector, ensure liveable cities by boosting basic services and attract and stimulate business activity for poor people.
Over the past three years DFID has spent over