A panel of economists assigned to review the Fifth Five Year Plan prepared recently by the Planning Commission for 1997-2002 period finalised its report of a meeting yesterday, reports UNB.

The 13-member team, headed by former Finance Adviser of the caretaker government Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud. will submit the report to the authorities concerned next week, according to official sources.

Die report was completed in the fifth meeting of the panel, which was formed as per a decision of the National Economic Council (NEC), the governmen t's highest policymaking body on economic affairs.

The panel went through the five-year plan report in the meetings and received commerits and suggestions from a number of development experts.

The economists discussed the approach to the planning. GDP growth targets in the plan, resource balance, fiscal imp)! cations, environment for private investment, development strategy for the plan and the style of presentation.

Yesterday meeting was attended by Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud. Planning Commission Member Dr M Lutfar Rah man. Planning Commission Adviser Dr AH Shahadat Ullah, economists Dr Al Aminul Islam and Ataur Rahman Kaiser. BIDS Director General Abu Ahmed Abdullah. Dhaka University Economics Department Chairman Prof ATM Zahirul Haq. teachers of Economics Department at the Chittagong University Prof Mahfuzul Haq and Prof Moinu) Islam. East West University Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohammad Farash Uddin. Prof Sanat Kumar Saha of Economics Department of Ra Ishahi University. Prof Abdul layes of Economics Department of Jahangirnagar University and Research Fellows of BIDS Dr Rushiden Islam Rahman and Dr Debaprlyo Bhattacharya.