Informal sector should be added to GDP: Mashiur

Prime Minister’s Economic Affairs Advisor Mashiur Rahman on Monday underscored the need to survey the country's informal sector to increase gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national income (GNI).

The survey will help with economic development, he said while addressing a discussion organised by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) at the BBS auditorium in the capital on the occasion of National Statistics Day 2023.

Speaking as the chief guest, he also said the government should appoint statisticians to different ministries to survey the informal sector for getting accurate statistics.

However, Mashiur said, the BBS should increase its manpower to finish the survey on time.

“Statistics is a technical subject. It is not possible to produce and deliver quality information without skilled manpower in this field,” he said, adding the statistics bureau should recruit qualified manpower.

Addressing the programme as the special guest, State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said fuel is the most important issue at present but information is more important.

He said statistics or information is one of the key development tools.

“Statistics are gaining importance. Information is essential for the country’s socio-economic development and planning. Accurate, timely, and quality data in every sector is very important to implement other plans announced by the government, including building Smart Bangladesh,” he said.

He also said the BBS should take measures to prepare statistics and publish all data in due time.

“Bangladesh got the International Monetary Fund loan due to the success of this integrated management of data. The economy is developing as our GDP and per capita income are increasing,” Shamsul added.

Bangladesh will become a high-income country by 2041 despite the downturns caused by the coronavirus pandemic, he said, adding the government has made all kinds of plans to achieve that.

The post-Covid-19 economic recovery has created new challenges but Bangladesh will successfully address those, the state minister added.