Finance minister AMA Muhith has turned down the proposal for restoring the banking division in the finance ministry as the number of the government-run banks has diminished in the last few years and the ministry does not need to have much of a say in their affairs and operation, said officials.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said the projects funded by World Bank would be implemented as per its guideline but no change would be made in the recent amendments to the Public Procurement Act. "The changes made in the Public Procurement Act would not be altered. However, where they [the WB] have any objection, they would follow their own guideline," Muhith told reporters after a meeting with the WB's new country director in Bangladesh Ellen Goldstein at his secretariat office.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Sunday said a part of the illegal arms that were recovered in the sub-continent again went to the terrorists. “A part of the recovered illegal small arms in the sub-continent went to the terrorists again. So, these arms would have to be destroyed immediately after recovery,” he said.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Sunday said the Better Business Forum (BBF) would be restructured and strengthened to take the place of the Regularity Reforms Commission (RRC). “RRC does not exist at this moment. We want to strengthen BBF,” he said after a meeting with Rachel Kyte, vice-president, Business Advisory Service of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) at his finance ministry office.
The government is at odds with key donor agencies over their forecasts for GDP growth for 2009-10. Finance minister AMA Muhith, dismissing IMF and World Bank predictions on Thursday, has reiterated that growth will not be less than 6 percent and may be higher. IMF projects it at 5 percent while WB forecasts it at 5.5 percent. The Bangladesh economy achieved 5.9 percent growth in 2008-09. The target is between 5.5 and 6 percent for the current fiscal year. The finance minister in his June budget speech said the target for GDP growth was set lower than last year keeping global recession in mind.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Monday called for establishing the Saarc Food Bank to meet the growing challenge of food security in the South Asian region. He was speaking as chief guest at the Saarc finance governors' symposium on food security at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel in the capital in the morning.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Tuesday directed the communications ministry to appoint experienced companies through fresh bidding for setting up the metro rail system and elevated expressway. The committee at a meeting at the cabinet division asked the ministry to inform it about the projected cost for the elevated expressway on the existing four-lane Dhaka-Chittagong highway. Finance Minister AMA Muhith chaired the meeting.
The Regulatory Reforms Commission will make way for a larger and more powerful body to oversee operations of government organisations and agencies, the finance minister has said.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith today said it would take one more month to announce the new pay scale for the government officials and employees. “It would be announced after accommodating recommendations for new pay scale of few separate organisations like Judiciary,” he told reporters, in response to a question at a press briefing at the NEC conference room.
The woven and knitwear industries will receive support from the government's stimulus package, to combat global recession fallout, finance minister AMA Muhit said on Wednesday. The support will be provided according to details to be worked out by a working committee this month, Muhith told reporters after attending the second meeting of the government's recession taskforce.
