DHAKA, Sept 21, 2021 (BSS) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched
a new country partnership strategy (CPS) for the 2021-2025 period with
possible lending operations to increase up to US$12 billion.

  The CPS for 2021-2025 will help Bangladesh to realize its aspiration of
becoming an upper middle-income country by 2031 through increased public and
private investments in the next five years.

  It also aims to boost competitiveness, employment and private sector
development, promote green growth and climate resilience and strengthen human
capital and social protection.

  The new CPS will also support rapid socioeconomic recovery from the COVID-
19 pandemic. During this period, ADB will increase its lending operations to
US$10 billion-US$12 billion, from US$9.6 billion in the past five years, said
a press release here today.

  "Sustained growth and appropriate policy measures have helped Bangladesh to
achieve good development outcomes. Moving forward, the country's industry and
export base need diversification," said ADB Director General for South Asia
Kenichi Yokoyama.

  "Diversification in manufacturing and export items, such as agricultural
products, information and communication technology, light engineering and
pharmaceuticals, together with increased competitiveness and access to new
markets will be critical in recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic sustaining
rapid economic growth and generating substantial employment," Yokoyama added.

  ADB will further expand its private sector operations in Bangladesh and
continue to leverage a high level of co-financing with other development
partners.

  Improving the banking sector, the ease of doing business, business
environment and investment climate will help accelerate private sector
development and promote economic diversification.

  The CPS also envisages enhancing ADB operations to support climate change
adaptation and mitigation and disaster risk management to address the
country's high vulnerability to climate events and other natural disasters in
line with the Paris Agreement.

  A holistic approach to integrate climate change will be applied to all
operations while expanding programs to directly address climate change
impacts through integrated management of water, river and coastal areas.

  The release said efforts to reduce poverty will continue. Specific actions
to reduce inequality and poverty include effective implementation of the
government's social protection programme, more equitable rural and regional
development, investments in low-cost housing and basic services-including
quality health and education for the poor.

  In the next five years, Bangladesh aims to reduce poverty from 20.5 percent
(PC) to 15.6pc and extreme poverty from 10.5pc to 7.4pc of its population.

  The new ADB strategy was prepared in close coordination with the government
to support the implementation of its Eighth Five-Year Plan, which aims to
address the need for higher resource mobilization, diversification of
manufacturing and exports and sustainable urbanization.

  ADB has supported Bangladesh's response against the Covid-19 pandemic with
a US$940 million loan for vaccine procurement under the Asia Pacific Vaccine
Access Facility and other initiatives.

  The government has requested US$1 billion programmatic budget support for
economic resilience and health and social protection, of which US$250 million
has been provided and the remainder is under preparation for approval in
2021-2023.

   ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient and
sustainable Asia and the Pacific while sustaining its efforts to eradicate
extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members, 49 from the
region.