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PM reemphasises need for boosting agro production

BSS . Dhaka
21 Mar 2023 18:44:50 | Update: 21 Mar 2023 21:45:03
PM reemphasises need for boosting agro production
— PID Photo

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday put emphasis again on boosting agricultural production in Bangladesh alongside ensuring proper preservation, processing and exporting of those abroad.

She also urged all concerned to give proper attention to the cultivation, preservation and processing of pulse, onion and mustard oil side by side ensuring that no land remains idle and thus comes under cultivation.

The prime minister gave the directives while chairing a meeting on the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) held at the NEC Conference Room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.

State Minister for Planning Shamsul Alam, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned were present at the briefing.

Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said the prime minister stressed again not keeping any land idle and thus bringing those under cultivation.

In this connection, Mannan said the prime minister noted that the Sylhet region still has much land remaining idle or without cultivation and suggested bringing those lands under cultivation.

She asked the authorities concerned to provide necessary support including technical support and expertise to those Shrimp Gher owners in the coastal region so that they could clear sand, owing to cyclones, storms and tidal surges, from their ghers.

The prime minister emphasised the importance of putting more attention on cultivating local varieties of fish instead of promoting foreign varieties.

She also expressed her reservation about using the word “poverty alleviation” in any project side by side to use more the words human resource development.

Sheikh Hasina said it is not always wise to build only structures under any project, but there is also a need for grooming necessary manpower and imparting them proper training to run the machinery and equipment under the structures and building to render services to the people.

The planning minister said the prime minister also underscored the need for using locally assembled vehicles preferably from Pragati in the government projects instead of the imported vehicles.

Besides, she reiterated that the project directors should work on their respective projects and sites instead of discharging their responsibilities as in additional charge.

Mannan said the prime minister also directed the authorities concerned to follow respective rules and regulations in project management as well as trying to reduce the tendency of engaging foreign consultants in development projects.

Touching upon the current macroeconomic situation of the country, he said the general point-to-point inflation has increased slightly in February while it could be increased further in March.

“If there is a bumper Boro harvest, inflation may come down from Baishakh, but there should not be excessive rainfall during this period,” he added.

The overall economy is now in a much better state compared to the past, the minister said, adding, “If the inward remittance, export earnings and crops yield go in the same direction, there is nothing to worry.”

He said for a developing country like Bangladesh, the supply side is very important.

Mannan said in economies like Bangladesh, the flow of goods is not smooth and there are also some unseen and unknown difficulties.

“Inherent difficulties are there and we are trying to minimise those to tame inflation, but we cannot just eliminate those.”

He said in growing economies like Bangladesh, it is not possible to tame fully the inflation, rather it can be reduced.

When asked about any specific directive from the prime minister to rein in inflation during the ensuing holy month of Ramadan, Mannan said there is a tendency among the people to resort to “panic buying” ahead of and during Ramadan which gives the “smart businessmen” to capitalise on the situation.

He said the prime minister has asked all concerned to remain cautious in this regard.

The planning minister said the government is stressing more on the supply side to keep the market stable.

He also said the ECNEC also thanked the prime minister as the newly built Indo-Bangla Friendship Pipeline has been inaugurated recently.

The two neighbours built a 131.57km cross-border pipeline through which Bangladesh will import petroleum, especially diesel from India.

Planning Division Secretary Satyajit Karmaker said the prime minister asked all concerned to remain cautious before the project formulation.

He said the trend of revising projects would come down in future ECNEC meetings.

Echoing with the planning secretary, Mannan said they are trying desperately in this regard.

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