Mannan hopeful of attaining 9-10 percent growth in sustainable way

Planning Minister MA Mannan on Saturday hoped that Bangladesh would be able to reach 9-10 percent growth in a sustainable way in the coming years with further reducing poverty and addressing inequality through utilising its large human labour force.

“We’re in the region of 8% growth now, precisely a little short of 8% and we hope that we can reach 9-10% in a sustainable way. We think we can attain that and in that journey or struggle we need help from our all friends including from overseas, in the region, our neighbors or beyond,” he said.

The planning minister was addressing the inaugural session of the 4th South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) Annual Economists’ Conference 2019 at the Brac Center Inn in the city. The title of the inaugural session was ‘Governing New Challenges: Inclusive Development, Trade and Finance’.

Chaired by SANEM Chairman and Dhaka University Economics Department Prof Dr Bazlul Haque Khondker, Director of ESCAP-SSWA, New Delhi Dr Nagesh Kumar and Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Dr Binayak Sen made the key-note presentations.

Executive Director of SANEM Prof Dr Selim Raihan made the opening remarks.

Mannan said that the present government has been using human resource in a judicious and just way with increasing dose of skills and technology, adding that through this, the government would be able to address poverty and the issue of inequality.

The minister also said the government is addressing the issue of poverty and inequality, but it also peruses growth. “Because, growth pays it and gives us wealth. So, our strategy is now that the government will continue to address poverty through increasing growth so that others can benefit from the extra growth,”

Mentioning that the issue for the government is now plain and simple which is addressing poverty and perusing growth, the planning minister said over the last 10 years, everybody has seen that Bangladesh was growing appreciably fast and nobody can deny it.

“Since our strategy over the last 10 years was giving us larger growth…..Since the strategy is working on the ground, we’re happy to stick into the strategy and sustain it, give it more push so that growth generates more growth,” he said.

Highlighting various achievements of the government in different fields over the last 10 years, Mannan said that Bangladesh attained a revolutionary achievement in the power sector, inclusive development is being unleashed, many social safety net Programmes are being carried out which is helping to alleviate poverty, hunger has been largely reduced.

Noting that the biggest inclusive strategy for the government is democracy, Mannan said if the government can establish sustained democracy, if the country’s people are fully aware about their strength, then it would be possible to attain other social, economical and intellectual inclusiveness.

He also assured that the government would provide all necessary support to SANEM and others to do more relevant researches.

Source: bss