DHAKA, Sept 22, 2020 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working tirelessly for the betterment of the country and its people amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
It can easily be assessed that how much work the premier is doing relentlessly to save the life and livelihood of the people from the COVID-19 crisis if the guidelines, issued by the government in the last several months at the directives of the prime minister, are reviewed and the amount is considered.
To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, different ministries and divisions of the government issued a total of 1976 pages of guidelines from January to June last to implement the instructions of the prime minister.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has taken initiatives to preserve those directives to face disasters like COVID-19 in the coming days.
These initiatives have been preserved in the form of a book with five volumes.
The notifications issued by different ministries and divisions of the government to execute the directives of the premier to tackle the coronavirus situation have been compiled under the supervision of PMO Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah.
Tofazzel Hossain said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is constantly overseeing every matter and accordingly, she is giving various directives to this end.
About preserving the government guidelines to implement the premier’s directives to fight the COVID-19 situation, the PMO secretary said the government’s experiences in facing the coronavirus situation will be useful in future as initiatives have been taken to preserve those directives.
Premier’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told BSS that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working untiringly risking her life amid the coronavirus pandemic to save lives of the people and ensure their livelihood.
“She (premier) has been monitoring every matter and every moment and giving necessary directives to this end,” the press secretary said.
The PMO spokesperson said the prime minister is giving utmost priority to the wellbeing of the country and its people than her own life. “That’s why she (PM) is working ceaselessly, defying the risk,” Karim said.
The government has taken different steps including ensuring of healthcare, raising mass awareness and providing cash aid and foods among the people hit hard during the pandemic to save their lives side by side with keeping the country’s economy, trade and commerce vibrant and creating employments.
The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina so far announced 21 stimulus packages worth over Tk 1,12,663 crore which is 4.3 percent of the total GDP to offset the COVID-19 shocks on various sectors and minimise the sufferings of the people hit hard by the nationwide shutdown imposed to curb the spread of the deadly virus.
The incentive packages:
1.The government announced special fund for the export-oriented industries with Tk 5,000 crore.
2.The highest amount of Tk 33,000 crore was allocated for providing working capital facility to the affected industries and services sector organisations.
3.Tk 20,000 crore stimulus package for supplying working capital to the small (including cottage industries) and medium industrial enterprises.
4.Bangladesh Bank introduced Export Development Fund (EDF) with Tk 12,750 crore.
5.Pre-Shipment Credit Refinance Scheme with Tk 5,000 crore.
6.Special honourarium for the doctors, nurses and health workers with Tk 100 crore.
7.Tk 750 crore was announced as a compensation package for death or infection caused by COVID-19 .
8.Free distribution of food materials with Tk 2,503 crore.
9.Selling rice at Taka 10 per kg with Tk 251 crore.
10.Distributing cash among the target-based communities with Tk 1,258 crore.
11.Incentive packages for expanding the coverage of allowance programme with Tk 815 crore.
12.Building houses for the homeless people with Tk 2,130 crore.
13.Boro rice/paddy purchase operations with Tk 860 crore.
14.Mechanisation of agriculture works with Tk 32,220 crore.
15.Agriculture subsidy with Tk 9,500 crore.
16.Agriculture refinancing scheme with Tk 5000 crore.
17.Refinancing scheme for the low-income professional farmers and small businessmen with Tk 3000 crore.
18.A total of Tk 2,000 crore was allocated to Palli Sanchay Bank, Karmasangsthan Bank, Probsahi Kalyan Bank and Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation to help the youths and expatriates who lost jobs for the pandemic.
19.The government provided subsidy of Tk 2000 crore for partial interest waiver of deferred loan on April-May 2020.
20.Tk 2000 crore for Credit Risk Sharing Scheme (CRS) for SME Sector.
21.TK 1,132 crore for the distressed workers of the export oriented ready-made garments, leather product and shoes under the social safety net program.