PM reiterates call to practise austerity in all spheres of life

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday reiterated her call to maintain austerity in all spheres of life including in electricity consumption in the wake of global inflationary situation.

She also said that if all concerned could practice austerity then the country would benefit in the long run.

The premier made the call while presiding over the first meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in the current fiscal 2022-23 held at the NEC Conference Room in the city.

She joined the meeting virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban.

Planning Minister MA Mannan briefed reporters after the meeting.

He said that the PM has urged everyone to maintain austerity in all spheres.

“Let us all maintain austerity, the prime minister has asked the government machinery including bureaucrats and common citizens to maintain austerity.”

The planning minister said Bangladesh is being affected by the current global situation and by the price hike of fuel oil.

“We’ll have to remain alert to face the impacts on those products which we do not produce. The prime minister has mainly suggested that the countrymen maintain austerity for such reasons.”

State Minister for Planning Shamsul Alam said PM Hasina has always advised all to maintain austerity.

She also called for stopping misuse of utilities and she had suggested earlier against wearing suits at offices in summer and operating air conditioners in government offices at a certain temperature.

Shamsul said she also suggested installing sound breakers in front of establishments like hospitals to minimise sound pollution during the plying of metro rail.

She asked for ensuring adequate car parking in the landing stations of metro rail, he said.

The planning minister said the PM asked the Local Government Division to remain alert so that proper standard is maintained during the construction of rural roads, culverts and bridges.

He said that more projects will be taken for the development of flood-affected areas.

Mannan said the government has noticed that prices of some items like rice and edible oil are on the downtrend which indicates that the inflation would decline in the coming days.

He informed that the ECNEC meeting also discussed in details about distributing seeds, fertilizer, pesticides free of cost among the marginal farmers so that they could yield a good harvest in future.

The planning minister also informed that the implementation rate of Annual Development Programme (ADP) in the last 2021-22 fiscal year was 10.68 percent or Tk 31,929 crore higher compared to the previous 2020-21 fiscal year.

The ADP implementation rate in the last 2021-22 fiscal year was 92.79 percent with an expenditure of Tk 2,03,764.94 crore.

The ADP implementation rate during the previous 2020-21 fiscal year was 82.11 percent with an expenditure of Tk 1,71,835.77 crore, he added.