The UNCTAD IX conference in Midrand, South Africa, has very rightly voiced concern over the unmitigated plight of the LDCs. As a group they remain on the lowest rung of the development ladder despite the progress made so obviously in the economic .reform and trade liberalisation processes since the mid-1980s.

It is agairlst this backdrop that Bangladesh's Commerce Secretary A H Mofazzal Karim has reiterated the collective call of the LDCs at the conference for a substantial Improvement in the flow of ODA to them as part of the long-existing .programme of action.

The old trade preferences are gone, the import prices of foodgrains are up much the same way that those of pharmaceuticals and essential capital goods have soared. While the aftermath of the Uruguay Round is marked by an intensive series of adjustments in the world trade regime the whole process is only beginning to unfold with so much left of it to bear fruit. We are passing through the gestation period of the overall reform process. At this stage we are having to pay the heavy administrative costs for compliance with ’ the Uruguay Round stipulations without any immediately corresponding Improvement in the rates of savings, investment, Job-creation and per capita income. While ths global trade regime is restructured, the critical financing of development in the LQCs has to come from ODA whose growth as percentage of GNP has been ironically negative.