Bangladesh
5 years ago

$1.0t dream budget before 2034: Kamal

$10b more ADB aid on the anvil

AHM Mustafa Kamal speaking at the ADB programme — PID
AHM Mustafa Kamal speaking at the ADB programme — PID

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Finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said on Thursday the size of the country's annual budget would stand at $1.0 trillion even before 2034.

"Such a $1.0-trillion budget is our dream and we'll reach there…," he said.

Mr Kamal was speaking at the closing ceremony of a two-day 'Good Project Implementation Forum' hosted by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The programme was held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital, Dhaka.

Currently, the size of the fiscal budget is less than Tk 5.0 trillion or more than $59 billion.

Mr Kamal said Bangladesh, in the meantime, has left behind 17 nations in terms of financial strength over the past one decade.

Bangladesh is now the 32nd-largest economy in terms of size. It is expected that by 2030, the country would be the 24th largest economy globally, he predicted.

The chartered accountant-turned politician said the government is investing in multiple mega projects , albeit with no return on them yet.

"We're just investing and we'll start getting returns shortly," he mentioned.

On completion of the projects, Mr Kamal said, there would be dramatic changes in the country's "appearance".

Bangladesh has undertaken projects like Padma multipurpose bridge, Rooppur nuclear power plant, Dhaka mass rapid transit, Karnaphuli tunnel and Payra deep-sea port.

On ADB's financial assistance, he said the lender has invested $25 billion so far and $10 billion more is in the pipeline.

About his dengue fever, Mr Kamal said he could not fully deliver his first budget as a finance minister in June.

He declared that two top officials of the projects aided by ADB would be sent to countries like Vietnam, India and Singapore to gain more experience.

ADB country director Manmohan Parkash gave the address of welcome while Economic Relations Division secretary Monowar Ahmed delivered the closing remarks.

In his speech, Mr Ahmed asked the local officials of the awarded projects to keep it in mind that this is in recognition of their good work and performances.

This is also part of sharing their good practices with their other Bangladeshi colleagues, he observed.

ADB country director said, "We've upgraded the economic outlook for Bangladesh from 8.0 per cent in fiscal year 2019 to a record 8.1 per cent, the highest in the Asia-Pacific region."

The impressive GDP (gross domestic product) growth is led by higher exports and remittances.

Continued political calm, improved power supply and higher growth in private sector credit facilitated the fastest economic expansion here since 1974.

What is more, the ADO (Asian Development Outlook) supplement predicts Bangladesh would sustain the highest growth in the Asia-Pacific at 8.0 per cent in 2020.

"I call Bangladesh a "land of opportunity". This is because the country has made tremendous progress in a very short period," Mr Parkash concluded.

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