DHAKA, Sept 09, 2018 (BSS) – Speakers at a seminar today called for bringing all people under the banking services to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
They made the call at the seminar on “Achieving SDGs in Bangladesh: The Role of the Banking Sector” at the Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) auditorium in the city, said a press release.
Banking Reform Advisor of the Bangladesh Bank SK Sur Chowdhury attended the seminar as the chief guest while Former Professor of the Dhaka University Economic Department Dr. Barkat-e-Khuda and Managing Director of the Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB) M Ali Hossain Pradania, among others, were present.
BIBM Director General Dr Towfiq Ahmed Chowdhury presided over the seminar.
SK Sur Chowdhury said SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
“These goals build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals. Some new important areas are included in SDGs, like climate change, economic inequality, sustainable consumption, peace and justice,” he added.
He said BB has been pursuing its Monetary and Credit policy with a view to facilitating and strengthening economic growth, strategically focusing on inclusive financing through SME financing, Micro Finance, Agriculture Financing and implement Monetary Policy, broadly fixing some monetary and credit targets aligned with SDGs and their targets.
He said Financial Inclusion Department has been pursuing policies supporting to bring unbanked section of the people and sectors of the economy under the umbrella of banking sector through various initiatives like opening no-frill account for farmers, refinancing for 10-taka account holders, school banking account and introducing agent banking system.
“As more and more sectors and segment of population will be coming under the purview of the banking sector, the economy will be broad based; growth will be sustainable as well,” he added.
He hoped that after presenting the research paper by the researchers, discussants will express their creative opinions on different issues pertaining to SDGs as a whole and on the process of addressing the raised challenges, as well as on modus operandi in Bangladesh in particular.
M Ali Hossain Pradania said BKB is providing all sorts of efforts to give loans among the real farmers. “If the real farmers get loans, the rate of financial inclusion will be increased,” he added.