GDP growth would be 6pc in FY-14: Kamal

Business Desk :
Despite constraints and unusual situation in the country, the GDP growth rate of Bangladesh is expected to be 6 percent in the current fiscal 2013-14, Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal said on Sunday.
“We’ll try to attain around 6 percent GDP growth rate in the current fiscal year given the situation, facing all the constraints and all the odds, and considering the vulnerabilities of the world economy. We’ll move ahead addressing our weaknesses,” he said.
The newly inducted planning minister made the remarks while briefing on the first meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) of the new government at NEC-I conference room in city’s Sher-e-Banglanagar.
Mustafa Kamal said the economy of the country had witnessed setback in the last six months due to political instability and violence caused by the BNP-Jamaat alliance. “But, we’ll try to maintain our expectations regarding the GDP growth as the growth was above 6 percent over the last four years,” he said.
The minister commented on the GDP growth as the World Bank recently said Bangladesh would not achieve the targeted 7.2 percent GDP growth in the 2013-14 fiscal.
The Washington-based lending agency on its half- yearly report titled “Global Economic Prospects” published recently forecast growth rate of Bangladesh would not cross 5.7 percent, essentially due to Bangladesh’s ongoing political turmoil.
On the assistance from development partners, the Planning Minister said there is no indication from any development partner yet that they would not work with the present government following the holding of the 10th parliamentary election amid boycott by one of the major political parties, BNP.
Replying to a query regarding the boosting up the ADP implementation rate, the Planning Minister said the concerned officials even the field-level workers faced difficulties in carrying out their activities due to the unrest over the last six months.
In this connection, he said that the BNP-Jamaat might have started to realize that politics is for the sake of common people adding, “Killing people could never be a part of politics.”
The Planning Minister said there could be difference of opinions, but the ultimate goal should be attaining desired economic growth, taking the country ahead and ensuring good governance. “I think all including the government, BNP and others would realize this.”
Mustafa Kamal said he would sit with the planners, economists, businessmen, members of the civil society and cultural personalities in phases to chalk out his next course of action as the Ministry of Planning is destined to ensure welfare to the country’s people.
The minister also said he has certain goals, plans and guidelines and he wants to leave behind some signs of successes here at the Planning Ministry like he had tried at the Bangladesh Cricket Board.