& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

We aren't satisfied with our progress, PM tells donors

UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday reiterated that the central development objective of her government is to reduce poverty in keeping with the millennium goals.
"We've prepared a 'National Strategy for Economic Growth, Poverty Reduction and Social Development' which is the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper," she said inaugurating a two-day meet of Bangladesh Development Forum-2003 at Sonargaon Hotel in the morning.
"The Constitution also enjoins us to create a just society, meet basic needs of the people and ensure the values of a free society to every citizen," the prime minister said.
Representatives of some 24 multilateral and bilateral development partners began their two-day meeting to look at Bangladesh's development plans and devise their own strategy on how to assist
in their implementation.
This year the focus will be on the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP), a donors' recipe for the next three years' development agenda targeting a pro-poor growth.
The inaugural session of the Bangladesh Development Forum-2003 was attended by ministers, diplomats, editors, representatives of development agencies, senior government officials and leading economists of the country.
Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman, World Bank's Vice President for South Asia region Mieko Nishimizu, IMF Representative Chanpan Pukathikam and ERD Secretary Anisul Haq Chowdhury also addressed the session.
The prime minister in her address said her government has made much progress during the last 19 months.
"However, we are not fully satis fied with our achievements. A number of development and governance problems are yet to be addressed," she said.
"We have, therefore, to accomplish much more in the days ahead. Our government sincerely expects to work in close cooperation with all of you in this regard," she told the donors.
Khaleda Zia reaffirmed that Human development would remain the topmost priority agenda of her government. "Health, education and gender mainstreaming are our priority areas. We've already demonstrated our commitment to these sectors through concrete actions," Khaleda Zia said.
The government also continues to emphasise investment in physical infrastructure in order to support private sector growth, she added.
The prime minister said the civil society and the NGOs have been playing a vital role in the development process of the country. "We would like to see more meaningful cooperation with them in future," she added.
Reminding the donors that her government inherited a difficult economic situation from the previous Awami League regime, Khaleda Zia said: "We made concerted efforts to put the economy on the right track through effective implementation of reform programmes and pursuing prudent fiscal and financial policies."
Referring to election commitments, she said the present government has been implementing various measures to improve governance, law and order and investment climate, and accelerate economic growth and poverty reduction.
She also mentioned the steps taken to improve the condition of children in difficulty with law and to ensure speedyjustice.
"We have achieved remarkable success in macroeconomic stability over the past one-and-a-half years," she said adding that a number of reform measures have been taken in the economy's key areas, including fiscal and budgetary process, financial policies and privatisation of lossmaking enterprises.
The prime minister said her government is taking all possible measures to facilitate the development of a vibrant private sector which she said has a crucial role to play in this era of globalisation and free market economy.
"To enhance foreign direct investment in the economy, we offer a highly attractive package of incentives," she said.
Thanking the donors for supporting the development endeavours of
Bangladesh since its inception, the prime minister expressed her confidence that the Forum would provide the opportunity to share common concerns, clarify pertinent issues and strengthen beneficial partnership.
Addressing the inaugural session, Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman listed the government efforts to ensure a sustainable development in the country.
World Bank's Vice President Mieko Nishimizu lauded the efforts where Bangladesh shines above many in the developing world.
She cited Bangladesh's per capita income growth at 3.3 per cent per year, three times faster during the 1990s than the average for low-income countries.
Income poverty also declined by 1 percent per year in the same decade, a record exceeding most developing countries around the world including even Sri Lanka, she said.
Nishimizu mentioned that Bangladesh's primary enrolment is one of the best with Bangladesh ahead of most SAARC countries in the ratio of girls to boys in primary schools.
Reduction in infant and child mortality rate, and unprecedented speed of population growth reduction are some of the areas where Bangladesh did better than many low-income and developing countries, she said.
The World Bank executive also appreciated Bangladesh's success in restoring macroeconomic stability in spite of an unfavourable global environment. Besides, she said, the authorities have initiated significant structural reforms in banking, state-owned enterprises, education, energy sector, telecommunications and air pollution.
"And, the hallmark of these reforms has been the singular focus on good governance."
Nishimizu, however, mentioned that corruption remains the core governance issue and the weak law and order, manifested in shocking incidents of violence, also taxes the economy.
"The people of Bangladesh ask nothing more than the opportunities to take themselves and their country out of poverty. And they know that corruption, and law and order are the twin plagues that hold them back," she said.
IMF representative Chanpan Pukathikam lauded the government's measures like privatising the loss-making government enterprises, which has laid positive impact on the country's economy. She stressed continued prudent monitoring policy for sustaining the achievements.