“We need to step ahead to ensure more private sector engagement in public-private partnership for coordinated development in the country,” he said while Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD) Chairperson Abul Kasem Khan paid a courtesy call on him.

MA Mannan also stressed the importance of enabling business environment in Bangladesh and appreciated the formation of the Logistics and Infrastructure Working Committee of BUILD. The organisation already has a well-functioning public-private dialogue (PPD) model.

He urged BUILD to contribute independently for policy making process of the government.

BUILD Chairperson Khan said the partnership is vital for Public Policy Support for the private sector.

“The pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to the entire global economy, which continues to exert downward economic pressures on the countries across the world. With timely action, the government not only delivered economic relief to many but also injected confidence into businesses and the economy,” he said.

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Further initiatives to address employment and revive domestic demand would be critical to set the economy back on a robust growth pathway. Otherwise the target of the Perspective Plan for manufacturing growth may be difficult to achieve, he added.

Khan urged the government to intensify South-South cooperation, especially through regional agreements and create new avenues for markets for global trade expansion.

He requested the government to reduce the supply divide and accelerate development of regional value chains as key policy stepping-stones for a better post-COVID recovery process.

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Declaring 2021-2031 as the infrastructure decade for accelerated development of Bangladesh, he suggested devising a National Logistic Infrastructure Master Plan (NLIMP) which should be adopted to improve the national logistics and infrastructure system.

“The special economic zones (SEZ) must be utilised in a strategic manner to ensure broad and sustainable results for the national economy. As economic frontiers, the SEZs should link up with local businesses in the vicinity and act as growth centres. The broad-based growth enabled by SEZs would facilitate revenue collection, job creation and the industrialisation of Bangladesh,” he added.

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CEO of BUILD Ferdaus Ara Begum informed about one of the on-going activities of their organisation and International Trade Centre (ITC)-She Trade Program in collaboration with Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) for designing a public procurement road map more gender responsive.