Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Thursday criticised the existing governance structure and said that Bangladesh will have to take administration to the grassroots to maintain economic growth and achieve poverty alleviation.
“150 million people lives in this country and everything in their life is decided from Dhaka. This is unacceptable, corruption-prone and ineffective,” he said during the release of the World Bank report.
The report, ‘Bangladesh Poverty Assessment’, said Bangladesh was on its way to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG) in poverty alleviation in 2013 – two years ahead of the target.
Muhith said there was no alternative to decentralisation for success in poverty alleviation.
Speaking as the chief guest, he said that the administrative structure required big changes to continue the growth and control poverty.
“Tough decisions must be taken to establish a stronger and more effective local administration.”
He also spoke of some challenges to maintain economic progress. “A skillful human resource base is needed.”
“Though we have enough potential in the fisheries and animal resources sector, we cannot achieve it. We must get set to achieve this.”
The Minister termed the World Bank report a “very valuable evaluation” and that it was “very encouraging” to know that 14 Asian countries and 10 African countries could maintain a growth above 6 percent despite the global recession during the last four years.
Source: bd news24
