ZCZC
BSS-47
KAMAL-JAPAN
Bangladesh interested to work with Japan on more mega projects: Kamal
DHAKA, Nov 4, 2019 (BSS) – Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal today said
that the government is interested to work more with Japan on more mega
projects since they extend credit on soft terms.
“Currently we’ve many ongoing projects with Japan as these are investment
projects and benefits are surely expected from these projects. We’re
interested to work with Japan on more mega projects as they give us credit on
soft terms,” he said.
The Finance Minister said this to reporters after Japanese Ambassador to
Bangladesh Naoki Ito met him at his ERD office this afternoon, said a
Ministry press release.
He informed that a Japanese delegation would arrive here on November 16 and
hold meeting on the bilateral aspects and mutual cooperation.
Mentioning that Japan is a trusted and time-tested friend of Bangladesh,
Kamal said the relationship between Bangladesh and Japan deepened through the
hands of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Referring to his meeting earlier in the day with a delegation of Peoples’
Leasing and Financial Services (PLFS), he told a questionnaire that they
demanded of the government to stop the process for closing down the company
as well as to return the deposits of the small and individual investors.
In this regard, Kamal said he had assured the delegation of considering
their demands.
When his attention was drawn to the CPD’s recent independent review on the
current fiscal year, the Finance Minister said, “Our position is not the same
as theirs. Our position is for the country’s people and their welfare. I’ll
praise the country’s people as you better know whether there is growth,
development and employment generation in the country or not,”
The Finance Minister said since there was stable macroeconomic situation
and continued growth in the country, the poverty rate came down at around 20
percent which was 56.7 percent in 2001. “Except this, we don’t have any other
magic in our hands,”
He said had the CPD reviewed the performance of Bangladesh on global
perspective, then it would have been better for the country.
Kamal said a trade war is now going on across the world while some sort of
unrest is going on in Europe centering on Brexit. “Under the circumstances,
our export trade may face some risk and pressure. But despite intense global
recession, the progress of Bangladesh would not be stopped. We’ll surely be
able to tackle the situation under the leadership of our Prime Minister, “he
summed up.
BSS/PR/GM/AS/ 2000 HRS