Bangladesh’s GDP growth to be highest in Asia: Hasina
Bangladesh, as one of 20 most important countries is contributing to global economic growth, according to IMF.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the country’s economic growth is expected to rise to 8.13 percent in the ongoing fiscal year – the highest among the Asian countries.
The Premier said this while addressing a discussion on the proposed budget for 2019-20 fiscal year at the Jatiya Sangsad.
Earlier, the Asian Development Bank forecasted that the GDP growth of Bangladesh would be 8 percent this fiscal year.
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Bangladesh, as one of 20 most important countries is contributing to global economic growth, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Hasina said, “Economic stability is also our success beside the high growth.”
The extreme poverty rate has fallen to 11 percent and the nominal poverty rate will drop to at least 16 percent, the prime minister added.
The government has set a target to bring down the poverty rate to 4.5 percent in the 2023-24 fiscal year from the existing 11 percent, she continued.
Replying to a query from deputy leader of the Opposition, Rowshan Ershad, Hasina said her government always makes the budget keeping revenue collection at the forefront.
The PM said the budgets declared by previous governments, including HM Ershad, were solely dependent on foreign aid.
Even in 2009, when the Awami League (AL) came to power, the rate of foreign aid was 6.4 percent.
In the proposed budget for the next fiscal year, the rate has been brought down to only 0.8 percent – it has been possible only because of the AL government’s continuous development work and the improvement in individual income.
Her government has brought up literacy rate to 72.9 percent, said Hasina, adding that the rate had fallen to 53.7 percent from 65.5 percent during the BNP-led government in 2002-06.
