Our economy better than many: PM

Dhaka, Nov 19 —Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has rebutted opposition claims that the economy is in a tailspin.

"I want to tell you that the economic situation has not become critical. We have managed to keep it running. We are better placed given the world economic recession," she said on Saturday.

Speaking at function at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre marking the 40th National Cooperative Day, she refuted claims that there is a liquidity crisis.

"Many say that there is no money. But we have received billions of taka from the renewal of mobile-phone operators' licences. A few months later we will be receiving another such boost," the prime minister said.
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Hasina chided critics of government steps to develop agriculture. "Money shall flow to villages. Our economy is agro-based. If needed, all the money will go to villages.

"We will do whatever is needed to save the farmers who sweat to grow crops for us. We want them to develop."

Opposition BNP has been saying that the government's failures to manage the economy have put it in a crisis and prices of essential commodities have hit through the roof after it raised fuel price.

POWER SUBSIDY

Hasina said she had instructed the Power Division to cut supplies for two days to those who wrote newspaper articles questioning the need to generate power by subsidising the sector.

"They will write in the comfort of air-conditioned rooms using the power we generate. Let them feel what it feels like without power for two days."

She added that no previous governments have been able to add so much power to the national grid as her current administration has.

"We have addressed one at a time the problems that were there when our government took over. We have produced 5,600MW of power."

She urged the people to save more power and said, "People start screaming when power prices are hiked. But it costs to generate power and lay transmission lines."

"Slums get illegal power connections with which the residents do their daily chores. We sometimes overlook the matter as these drifting people have to cook and survive."

The prime minister pointed out that government officials are no longer required to in office wearing suits in the summer to cut down on use of electricity-guzzling air conditioners

"What you wear depends on how the weather is. No need to wear suits in summer."

COOPERATIVES FAIRS LAUNCHED

Hasina went on to enlarge on the guideline on farming unused lands through cooperatives. "The owner will get less, the cooperatives will get a share and the farmers, who grow the crop, will get the most."

She added that emphasis should be put on encouraging women entrepreneurs.

"The goods produced by the cooperatives will have to be collected and marketed properly," Hasina asserted and stressed on cooking-ready goods.

"There are 1.7 to 1.8 billion Bangladeshi expatriates living abroad. The food market will not shrink despite the world recession. Make sure no land remains unused."

Eighteen entrepreneurs and 20 organisations were given National Cooperative Award for the years 2009 and 2010 respectively at the function.

Rural development and cooperatives secretary Mihir Kanti Majumder presided over the programme where LGRD and cooperatives minister Syed Ashraful Islam, state minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanok, cooperatives department registrar Mushfeqa Ikfat and National Cooperatives Union president Sheikh Nadir Hossain Lipu also spoke.

Women entrepreneur Rahima Begum also who spoke at the function said she now owned seven transport vehicles without taking help from anyone.

The prime minister inaugurated online cooperative market exchange and spoke to the participants of Dhaka Metropolitan Rural Development and Cooperative Fair through video-conference.

She also declared cooperative fairs open around the country.

bdnews24.com