& 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

Stolen Assets

WB for using recovered money for pro-poor programmes

Staff Correspondent
Visiting World Bank (WB) Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala yesterday urged the government to form a team to recover stolen assets for using those to fund programmes for the poor.
Bangladesh should use the recovered assets for funding programmes for the poor, said Ngozi after a meeting with Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam.
She also cited the example of recovering stolen assets worth SI.2 billion, which was used later for programmes for the poor, during her tenure as a minister in Nigeria.
The finance adviser said the recovered wealth would be incorporated into the national budget. But any specific sector for this is yet
to be identified.
“They (WB) have asked us to form a small team which would continuously monitor the project
SEE PAGE 15 COL 2 FROM PAGE 16
for recovering stolen assets,” said the adviser, adding that the government would look into it
The team would conduct investigations and recover stolen assets. l\vo high-powered committees, headed by the chief adviser and the central bank governor, arc involved with the process.
Ngozi said she would try to solve the problems regarding import of rice from India.
The finance adviser said Bangladesh had called upon the World Bank to play the role of a mediator between the two countries to settle the issue and to urge India to reduce the price of rice from its latest rate of $650 a ton.
The WB second-in-charge also said Bangladesh should provide subsidies only to those who cannot afford food or fuel.
"The country needs to invest more in power and infrastructure projects," she said adding that the government has to determine the policy because the WB cannot interfere in it.
Ngozi said she discussed issues including creation of jobs, and high prices of food and fuel with the finance adviser.
“You don't want the government to spend that much money on subsidies.” she added.
-economic growth of over six-percent is impressive, it has the potential to grow at the rate of eight percent if the reforms initiated by the current government can be sustained.
She said problems regarding energy and infrastructure are the worst barriers to Bangladesh's economic growth.
“The country needs to spend more on energy and infrastructure,” said Ngozi.
Referring to climate change, Ngozi said Bangladesh has to think about a long-term plan on how to 'save the country from being inundated'.
She said the donors could help Bangladesh adapt to climate change. The issue will be discussed at a summit in London for countries most vulnerable to global warming.