ZCZC
BSS-26
CONFERENCE-SDG-REVIEW
Mannan urges officials, dev partners to work diligently for SDGs
DHAKA, July 4, 2018 (BSS) – State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan today urged the concerned public servants, NGOs, development partners and international agencies to work more diligently with the government like in the past to help attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We’re moving to a developing country from the LDC status. I urge all of you to work with us diligently like you did in the past to attain these goals (SDGs),” he told participants of a three-day national conference in the city.
The state minister was addressing the inaugural session of the ‘National Conference on SDGs Implementation Review’ as chief guest held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in the capital this afternoon.
Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman spoke at the inaugural session as special guest while General Economics Division (GED) member of the Planning Commission Dr Shamsul Alam also spoke on the occasion.
Principal Coordinator on SDG Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office Md Abul Kalam Azad moderated the function.
Mannan said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working relentlessly as well as asking her fellow colleagues and public servants to work with utmost honesty and sincerity to free the country from hunger and poverty.
Mentioning that the government has confidence in the development partners and the other stakeholders on the development process of the country, the former bureaucrat also urged the representatives of various development partners and international agencies, taking part in the conference, to keep up their confidence also in the government, to continue the ongoing development spree.
“We’ll have to accomplish our tasks in an integrated manner alongside maintaining peace, stability and discipline to make development sustainable upholding the national interest,” he added.
PM’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman reiterated the government’s previous estimation that around $928.48 billion additional resources would be required for Bangladesh to successfully implementing the SDGs by 2030.
“Without the support of the international community, we won’t be able to meet the additional resource gap. If you (international community and development partners) join hands together with us, we’ll fulfill the gap of additional financing,” he added.
Noting that there has been a very strong ownership of SDGs in Bangladesh, Nojibur, however, reminded all to keep in mind the ’emerging need of the hour’ which is the Rohingya issue.
GED member of the Planning Commission Prof Shamsul Alam said the government has already completed the SDGs mapping and estimated how much additional amount would be required by specific targets of SDGs.
For instance, he said, Bangladesh would require around 20 percent of its accumulated GDP to attain the SDGs by 2030 whereas Nepal would require its 50 percent of accumulated GDP to attain the SDGs.
He also informed that the government would prepare the 8th and 9th Five-Year Plans incorporating the SDG targets.
“We’ve clearly stated the process for implementation of the SDGs and the government has set and created the momentum for achieving higher growth,” he said.
BSS/ASG/GM/GA/1801 hrs