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Budget
FY04: Highly Ambitious, yet Ambiguous
CPD team at the post-budget press briefing
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Successful
implementation of the proposed budget depends on three major
factors: flow of private investment, resurgence in exports and
implementation of the ADP. This view was expressed by the Executive
Director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Debapriya
Bhattacharya whilst presenting an initial assessment of the
proposed budget for FY04. Held at CPD Dialogue Room on June
13, 2003 the assessment report was prepared by the CPD research
team led by Dr Bhattacharya.
Dr
Bhattacharya criticised the proposed budget on the ground
that it ignored such important issues as inefficiency in the
utility sector, problems associated with ports, lack of initiative
to constitute an independent anti-corruption commission, slow
pace of privatisation etc. "These are critically important
for investment to rally", he noted.
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The
proposed budget was criticised for failing to identify ADP implementation
related problems and its inability to reveal the reform plan
agreed by the government with development partners. The CPD
assessment also criticised the budget for lacking an anti-poverty
vision, for not recognising micro-economic impediments to investment,
and for not addressing the issues of governance adequately.
However,
the CPD team also appreciated the Finance Minister's proposals
for providing support to agro-based industries, textiles and
readymade garment sector.
CPD
research fellows Dr Ananya Raihan, Dr Uttam Kumar Deb, Dr
Fahmida A Khatun and Head of Dialogue and Communication Division
Ms Anisatul Fatema Yousuf attended the briefing.
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Call
to Form an Inter-Ministerial Task Force
CPD Dialogue on Economic Impact of Iraq War
Economists, academics, politicians, diplomats, representatives
of donor agencies and civil society organisations, and journalists
expressed their concern over the possible short and long term
negative impact of the Iraq war on Bangladesh's economy. Participants
felt that Bangladesh should form an Inter-Ministerial Task Force
to assess those impacts and in also to take corrective measures.
They also called upon all the political parties to help the
government overcome the expected difficulties, by keeping their
differences aside. These views were aired at a dialogue titled
"The War in Iraq and Economic Impacts for Bangladesh"
which CPD organised on April 10, 2003 at the CIRDAP Auditorium
in Dhaka.
Presided
over by CPD Chairman Professor Rehman Sobhan, the keynote
paper was presented by Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Executive
Director, CPD, who prepared the paper jointly with CPD Research
Director Professor Mustafizur Rahman.
Dwelling
on the possible consequences of the Iraq war on the Bangladesh
economy, Dr Bhattacharya observed that if the war was prolonged
it would have negative impact in terms of outflow of workers,
and remittance flow and export earnings from the middle-east.
The war was also likely to drawdown the already shrinking
flow of aid to the least developed countries, he cautioned.
"Uncertainties in the global economy may deepen leading
to increased arbitrary treatment of trade partners in distribution
of trade preferences", he remarked. The issue of participation
of Bangladeshi workers in post-war Iraq reconstruction was
also discussed in the meeting.
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CPD
ED Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya speaks at the dialogue on Iraq
War. ICC,B President Mr Mahbub-Ur Rahman, Lt Col Mohammed
Faruk Khan psc (Rtd), MP, Professor Rehman Sobhan, Mr GM
Quader, MP and Mr Mushfiqur Rahman, MP are also seen in
the picture.
Speakers at the dialogue were critical of the government's
position on the US led war against Iraq.
Professor
Sobhan said that the underlying agenda of the Iraq war was
to replace OPEC's control over the oil fields by that of
the private sector, thereby making way for the multinational
companies (MNCs) to control the production and pricing of
oil.
The
seminar was attended, among others, by Dr Atiur Rahman of
BIDS, President of ICC,B Mr Mahbubur Rahman, Mr Faruq Khan,
MP of Awami League, Mr GM Quader, MP of Jatiya Party, Mr
Rashed Khan Menon of Workers' Party, former State Minister
for Foreign Affairs Mr Abul Hasan Chowdhury, former ERD
Secretary Dr Mashiur Rahman, and former Ambassador Muhammad
Zamir.
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Upcoming
Activities of CPD
•Dialogue
on Environment Debates in the WTO: Defining Bangladesh's
Interest will be held at CIRDAP Auditorium on August
07, 2003
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A National Dialogue on Human Security in Bangladesh:
Recent Trends and Response will be held on August 11,
2003 at CIRDAP Auditorium. CPD and Asiatic Marketing
Communications Limited will jointly organise the event.
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•Launch
Meeting for South Asia Human Development Report 2002 will
take place between August 20-22, 2003.
•Dialogue
on Post Cancun Issues and Concerns is expected to be
held on October 02, 2003.
•
Dialogue on Policy Options for Livelihood Security of
the Resource-poor Farmers and Empowerment of Rural Women
will be held on October 23, 2003. CPD and PETRRA will
jointly organise the event.
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•
The Trade Policy Appreciation Workshop - IV will be held
during December 01-03, 2003.
•Dialogue
on WTO Rules will be held on December 04, 2003.
•Dialogue
on Globalisation: Role of State and Human Development
is expected to be held during December 17-19, 2003.
CPD and UNDESA will jointly organise the seminar.
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