Curbing inflation to get top priority in budget: State Minister Waseqa
“Maximum subsidies are provided on agricultural products such as fertilisers and seeds to ensure food security,” she said.
Curbing inflation will be given the utmost priority in the upcoming budget, alongside efforts to ensure food security, said State Minister for Finance Waseqa Ayesha Khan today (28 May).
"There is a problem of inflation around the world, and Bangladesh is not exempt from it," she said while speaking to reporters after the closing ceremony of the "Promoting Agricultural Commercialization and Enterprises (PACE)" project at the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) auditorium in the capital.
"Maximum subsidies are provided on agricultural products such as fertilisers and seeds to ensure food security," she added. "The government is earnestly working towards food support, taking all necessary steps in the upcoming budget."
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The PACE project, implemented by PKSF from 2015-2023 with a total cost of $129.71 million, focused on developing the microenterprise sector, particularly expanding agri-related enterprises.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) financed $58.07 million of the project, enhancing livelihoods (including higher incomes from self-employment, business profits, wage employment, and food security) for moderate and extreme poor individuals, both men and women, in a sustainable manner.
During the closing ceremony, Dr Arnoud Hameleers, IFAD Bangladesh's country director, praised the country's progress towards becoming an "almost developed" country, highlighting PACE as one of IFAD's highest quality projects globally.
He pledged continued collaboration with PKSF to enhance productivity and sustainability in Bangladesh's agricultural sector.
Dr Hameleers emphasised ongoing efforts to develop the value chain of small entrepreneurs, citing concerns about the perception of Bangladeshi honey being adulterated, leading to imports from countries like Australia.
He committed to improving the quality of Bangladeshi products to address such issues.
Nomita Halder, managing director of PKSF, said that under the PACE project, 88 sub-projects were implemented across 15 agricultural and 15 non-agricultural sectors. Notably, ecosystem protection efforts at the Halda River increased carp fish production and expanded market opportunities.
Highlighting the project's impact, she noted that 60% of the supported small entrepreneurs were women.
PKSF Additional Managing Director Md Fazlul Kader said 439,000 small entrepreneurs benefited from the project, with a significant 200% increase in their sales.
The programme was chaired by PKSF Chairman M Khairul Hossain.
