http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=166912
Draft plan aims for 8 per cent growth
UNB, Dhaka
The draft Perspective Plan (2010-21), to achieve 8 per cent growth by 2015 will be sent to the cabinet later this month for approval.
“The draft plan has already been completed and we have also received opinions from different Ministries. It will be sent to the cabinet later this month for approval,” said Prof Shamsul Alam, a member of the General Economics Division (GED) of Planning Commission, which prepared the draft.
Talking to UNB, he said that the main focus of the perspective plan was given on human resource development and on education while priority has also been given on technical education.
Dr. Alam said this would be the country’s first long-term participatory Perspective Plan. Earlier, an initiative was taken to formulate a perspective plan (1995-2010) but the effort could not succeed.
“The 6th and 7th five-year plan will also be finalized on the basis of the proposed Perspective Plan,” he added. The GED member informed that to make the plan more participatory, some 32 meetings including 10 at the national-level and 22 at regional-level were held across the country with the participation of people from all sectors – NGO and private sector.
He said that the Perspective Plan eyes to elevate Bangladesh to a mid-income country by 2021 from the list of the Least Developed Country (LDC). “Recommendations have been made to bring down the foreign assistance to a minimum level.”
As per the draft Perspective Plan, the GDP growth was projected at 8 per cent by 2015, 9 per cent by 2017 and 10 per cent by 2021 while the per capita income to be raised to US$ 2000.
It also focuses to keep the annual inflation rate to a tolerant level -between 7 and 8 per cent – by 2021 through efficient management of both monetary and revenue policy.
The unemployment rate was projected at 16 per cent by 2015 and at 10 per cent by 2021.
According to the plan, the number of poor people in the country would stand at 2.50 crore as the government will take steps to reduce the number of underprivileged people below the poverty level at 30 per cent by 2015 and at 15 per cent by 2021.
The draft plan also gave emphasis on raising the admission rate for primary level education to 100 per cent by 2021 and also free Bangladesh from illiteracy by 2014.
The contribution for agriculture, industry and services sectors in the GDP has been fixed at 16, 30 and 54 per cent respectively by 2015, which is also expected to stand at 12, 36 and 52 per cent by 2021.
Besides, a target has been set to raise the export income to 22 per cent of GDP by 2015 and to 26 per cent of GDP by 2021.
Considering the growing demand of power, the draft plan has made recommendations to raise the country’s power generation to 7,000 MW by 2013 and 8,000 MW by 2015.
Assuming the demand for power in the country at 20,000 MW by 2021, it also suggests reducing gas-based power generation to 30 per cent, increase coal-based power generation to 53 per cent, nuclear power generation to 10 per cent and renewable power generation to 3 per cent.
To materialize the government’s dream of ‘Digital Bangladesh’ through strengthening information technology, the plan recommends making computer education compulsory at secondary level by 2013 and at primary level by 2021. Besides, target has been fixed to disseminate internet services to 50 per cent unions by 2015 and to 100 per cent unions by 2020.
