DHAKA, Nov 23, 2020 (BSS) – The Finance Division will hold a series of
view-exchange meetings to create much more awareness in all quarters over the
various aspects of stimulus packages to offset the shock of coronavirus
(COVID-19) and the economic recovery of the country.
The view-exchange meetings will be held in three episodes highlighting the
government’s steps to face COVID-19 and the announced as well as undertaken
steps of the government to ensure sustainable and inclusive economic
recovery, said a Finance Ministry statement.
The first meeting will be held on November 26 at the Osmani Memorial
Auditorium in the city with the theme “Sustaining employment and bringing
back the overall economic demand and supply system in to normalcy”.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi will present at that meeting as the chief
guest while Bangladesh Bank Governor Fazle Kabir will remain present as
special guest.
The second view-exchange meeting will be held on December 3 at the same
venue with the theme “Employment generation and rejuvenation of rural
economy”.
Planning Minister MA Mannan will remain present at the view-exchange
meeting as the chief guest while Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam
will present as special guest.
The statement said that the third and the last meeting will be held on
December 10 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium with the title “Expanding the
coverage of social safety nets and ensuring food security”.
Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque will remain present at that meeting as
the chief guest while Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Ahmad
Kaikaus will present as special guest.
The government, under the direct supervision and direction of Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina, has already set a short, mid-term and long-term
working strategy to face the crisis derived from COVID-19 and also to ensure
fast economic recovery through rejuvenating the affected economic activities.
The government has so far announced a total of 21 stimulus packages worth
over Taka 1.21 lakh crore (Taka 1,21,353 crore or 4.3 percent of GDP) to
ensure social security and economic recovery while implementation of these
stimulus packages are ongoing, the statement added.
Besides, a report on the implementation progress of the stimulus packages
was placed before the Cabinet meeting earlier on November 2 by the Finance
Division. The meeting then expressed satisfaction over the overall undertaken
steps and operations to implement the packages.
Country’s eminent economists, researchers, chiefs of the multilateral development partner agencies, ambassadors of various countries as well as journalists from print and electronic media will remain present in the view-exchange meetings as discussants while they would take part in the open discussion and
question-answer session.