Last Page, Publish: 12/10/2018
Kamal focuses on raising public investment to keep GDP growth
ECNEC okays 17 dev projects at Tk 142b
Planning Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal said on Thursday the government is boosting the public sector investment to compensate the rather low private sector investment in the country.

"It is imperative to increase the public investment to keep the high gross domestic product (GDP) growth trend," he said at a briefing after the meeting of Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in Dhaka.

"Since the private investment is comparatively low in the GDP, we need to increase the public investment. It will not only compensate the investment-GDP ratio, it will facilitate the private investments also."

He said these while briefing journalists about the necessity of holding two consecutive ECNEC meetings within a couple of days.

Presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the ECNEC meeting on Thursday approved 17 development projects at a total cost of Tk 142 billion. Of the projects, 14 are new and three are revised ones.

Of the total cost, Tk 111.94 billion will come from the government's internal fund, Tk 28.12 billion from the funds of the organisations concerned, and Tk 1.95 billion as project aid from external sources.

Mr Kamal said, "A total of 19 projects have been placed at the meeting on Thursday. Out of those, 17 projects have been approved, one has been sent back, and another one has been directed to recast."

The approved projects include, among others, Rajshahi WASA surface water treatment plant at Tk 40.62 billion, Development of electricity supply system - Chattogram Zone (2nd Phase) at Tk 25.52 billion, and Land acquisition for upgrading Faridpur-Bhanga-Baishal-Patuakhali-Kuakata highways into 4-lane involving Tk 18.68 billion.

Ministers, Planning Commission members, and high officials of relevant ministries were present at the ECNEC meeting on Thursday.

On Tuesday, ECNEC also approved 20 projects at a cost of Tk 325.25 billion.