|
Tk
10,000 crore surplus awaits
investment
The News Today
December 31, 2003 |
|
Back
to Clip Index
The economy has to absorb a
liquidity surplus of Tk 10,000 crore
as it now awaits feasible investment
opportunity or faces an inflationary
pressure or capital flight in the
near future. "The economy will have
to face an inflation or a capital
flight unless the surplus re-sources
get the opportunity", Centre for
Policy Dialogue (CPD) Director
Debapriya Bhattacharya told a press
conference at CPD office, releasing
mid-term re-view findings on the
economy on Tuesday. Although the
country's macro-economic performance
is still good, non-economic factors
like law and order situation,
corruption and politics of
confrontation may hinder the pace of
such economic progress, said the
report of CPD, a local think-tank.
In brief CPD in its findings" said
the country's 2003 economy was good
but "it is not good enough. Dr
Debapriya also said, it was evident
from the review that most of the key
variables influencing macroeconomic
performance have started off in a
relatively strong footing. The CPD
released the first interim report
covering July-December 2003 on
Tuesday in its office. The report
revealed that revenue collection was
on as targeted, export growth was
stable and agricultural, production
was steady. Positive movements are
taking place in case of import
growth, industrial loan
disbursement, and financial sector
reform it said. However, these
reassuring trends are somewhat
de-pressed by marginal growth in the
manufacturing sector, a low level of
foreign direct investment inflow,
net out-flow of agriculture credit,
transitory bubbles in the capital
market, paralysis in the
privatisation process, slowdown in
remittance flow and last but not the
least the noticeable price hike of
essential commodities. The Executive
Director of CPD also said that the
fiscal balance remained sound mainly
due to low ADP implementation and
the balance of payment situation was
subjected to some pressures because
of the increasing trade gap and the
expected pressures of input payments
in the coming months. The report
also identified four critical
factors for successful
implementation of the national
budget. The four factors are: the
implementation of ADP still remains
the most vulnerable aspect of this
year, economic programme and
implementation of the Public
Expenditure Review Committee
recommendations and export
diversification of new
non-traditional exports. Private
investment in the manufacturing
sector gathered momentum, in the
backward linkage industries. A
successful supportive monetary and
fiscal policy generated enhanced
inflow of invisible surplus in the
country's financial market the
report noted. “Almost all major
target indicators of the Mid-Term
Macroeconomic Framework of the I-PRSP
will be achieved" said Dr Debapriya.
The report also revealed Page 15
Col. 8 Tk 10,000 cr that the
country's economy is poised to
record a 5.5 per cent or above
growth in FY 04 and it is well known
that a 5.5 per cent growth will
result in little above 3.5 per
capita income growth. It may not be
good enough for improving the
position of more than 40 per cent of
the population living below the
poverty line. It would also increase
inequality in" the society it
predicted. |