World Bank VP praises PKSF projects
World Bank Vice President (Operations Policy and Country Services) Ed Mountfield has praised the projects implemented by Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF).
"It is really important that we support micro-businesses, help people develop business skills, entrepreneurial outlook, get good jobs that give them dignity and allow them to be included in the development process," Mountfield said on Thursday while visiting Shariatpur district to observe PKSF activities, reads a press release.
An inclusive development approach is necessary for Bangladesh to become an upper-middle-income country, he observed, adding, "Inclusion of the 'bottom 40% of society' is important to make development sustainable financially, socially, and environmentally."
The WB Vice President visited field-level interventions made under two projects — the Recovery and Advancement of Informal Sector Employment (RAISE) and the Sustainable Enterprise Project (SEP), financed by the WB and implemented by PKSF – which serves as Bangladesh's prominent development institution dedicated to sustainable poverty reduction.
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The $250 million RAISE project has been in operation since February 2022 and is gradually enhancing capacities of 1.75 lakh micro entrepreneurs.
On the other hand, SEP, with a fund of $130 million, assists microenterprises in developing marketing scope and adopting environmentally sustainable practices.
The WB delegation interacted with micro-entrepreneurs who have been affected by the pandemic and are receiving assistance from RAISE. They also observed a "Life-skills development" training session within RAISE's apprenticeship programme, as well as visited enterprises run by experienced craftsmen who provide technical training to apprentices.
Besides, they also visited a brass utensil sales and display centre, supported by SEP, at Narobalakhana village of Palong union in Shariatpur.
He was accompanied by, among others, Md Fazlul Kader, additional managing director, PKSF; Uwimana Basaninyenzi, external affairs advisor, WB; S Amer Ahmed, lead economist and programme leader, task team leader (RAISE), WB; Aneeka Rahman, senior social protection economist and task team leader (RAISE), WB; and Dilip Kumar Chakravorty, general manager (programme) and project coordinator, RAISE, WB.
