BD-German meet to review projects

The Bangladesh-German consultation meeting, 2018 will be held in Dhaka on April 26 to review the implementation status of the ongoing German-funded projects in the country.

The meeting will also help increase the flow of German funds for more projects, officials said.

There are currently 16 German-funded projects in Bangladesh involving over 277 million euros, including 17.47 million euros in grants, according to the Economic Relations Division (ERD).

Representatives of the line ministries will attend the consultation meeting to be held at the office of the National Economic Council (NEC) at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, ERD additional Secretary and Europe wing chief Muhammad Alkama Siddiqui told the FE.

An inter-ministerial preparatory meeting on the upcoming German-Bangladesh consultation was held on February 25 at the ERD, with Alkama Siddiqui in the chair.

The meeting asked the line ministries to submit the progress report of the ongoing projects and new project proposals for the next two years, according to a meeting source.

The upcoming consultation meeting will stress the need for making the ongoing German-funded projects successful and discuss the future plan in details, the source added.

Contacted, Deputy Secretary of Europe wing of ERD Mahbuba Ireen said three priority areas -- renewable energy and energy efficiency, good governance/rule of law/human rights and adaptation to climate change in urban areas -- will be highlighted in the meeting.

She said: "We will mainly discuss new projects to be taken up in the next two years. A draft on the new projects will be prepared. Later, a summary will be prepared for signing."

Besides, extension of the tenure of the ongoing projects will also be discussed at the meet, she added.

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