Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed Wednesday said the remittance inflow remained steady, but it is still a challenge for the presently sound economy.

"The remittance remained steady, but we're watching the situation," he told reporters after a meeting with visiting UK Minister for Development Mike Foster at his office.

The governor said that the macro-economic performance remained more or less satisfactory, but there are challenges or downside risks, especially in remittance, exports and foreign aid.

Replying to a question, he said they were trying to make the official channel of sending remittance low-cost and faster so that the remitters, who are not using banking channel, are encouraged to use the official channel.

"Progress of the channels like automated clearing house is good," Dr Salehuddin said. "Remittance will increase if they come through official channel."

He said the DFID-funded Automated Clearing House is scheduled to start operation on August 1 this year with 1,000 bank branches in the capital while the total 7,000 branches across the country would come under the automated system gradually by the end of 2010.

He added that the system would facilitate migrant workers to send money home more quickly, more safely and at less cost.

Replying to a question, the BB governor said the government would look into the overall issue on what the returned NRBs, if there be any, would do after coming back to the country as the fall out of the global recession. Talking to reporters after the meeting, UK Minister for Development Mike Foster said the country's macro-economic indicators remained sound, but poverty remained a major challenge.

During the meeting, he said, they discussed how they could continue their support to reduce the poverty in Bangladesh and help it grow to become a middle-income country.