Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman Wednesday sought all-out cooperation of the political parties, trade unions and owners of the industries to help solve the problems of Jute and textiles sectors to build a self-reliant economy, reports BSS

Addressing a crowded press conference at a hotel here Wednesday afternoon, the Finance Minister said, the government was taking a massive programme for the country s economic stabilisation and to revitalise and restructure the losing enterprises to turn, them Into profit-earning concerns.

Pointing out inefficiency, mismanagement, corruption and surplus labour force as the root causes of the huge fosses of these industrial units, he slid. Bangladesh Jute mills corporation at present has 32,000 excess labourers. Bangladesh Railway 20.000 and Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation 20.000.

For making the public sector enterprises as profitable organisations, the Finance Minister said, we would have to solve the excess labour problem with full understandings with the trade unions by compensating adequately the excess labourers, improving labour-management relationship. raising efficiency, and restoring financial discipline. The government needs 18 months to two years time for revitalising the ailing enterprises. he said adding that after making them viable, those units would be disin-vested.

Citing a number of examples of financial Irregularities committee during the autocratic regime of Ershad in the public sector enterprises, he said, even when an Industrial unit had been closed for six months the employees had taken over-time allowances for work. The Minister was also very critical of the sluggish performance of the private sector jute mills and said, the owners were running the units at the cost of the state money or credits provided by financial institutions.

Related story on page 7.