United News of Bangladesh

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Wednesday said the government is committed to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner that goes beyond the existing targets, with a focus on improving the quality of life and economic participation of every citizen. “SDG is already built into the BNP election manifesto. If we can implement the manifesto 100 percent, the SDGs will be fully implemented. In fact, we are beyond SDGs,” he said while addressing the closing ceremony of the three-day National Conference on Five-Year Strategy and SDG at the China Friendship Centre. He said successful implementation of the SDGs requires coordinated efforts by all stakeholders, including ministries, ordinary citizens, private sector organisations and NGOs. “We have to work together to deliver the SDGs. Ministries are being coordinated, consultations are being held with ordinary people, and pilot projects are being undertaken to identify and correct defects and errors before wider implementation,” he said. Khosru said SDG implementation is not merely a matter of policy formulation or resource allocation, stressing the need for a “humanitarian government” capable of putting people at the centre of development. He said the government has prioritised socially focused programmes including the Family Card and Farmer Card initiatives, despite the difficult economic situation. “These projects have been designed keeping the low-income people, the poorest sections of society, rural communities and persons with disabilities in mind,” he said. The minister said allocating resources for such programmes during a difficult economic period was not easy as the government has to reduce allocations for some other development projects to prioritise programmes directly benefiting disadvantaged people. Khosru also stressed that SDGs should not be viewed as charity for poor people. “SDG is not charity. It is about improving the quality of life of every citizen and ensuring their economic, social and civic rights,” he said. He said the government’s concept of “democratisation of the economy” was closely aligned with the core objectives of the SDGs. “The political democratisation will only be successful if the economy is democratised,” he said, adding that every citizen should have the opportunity to participate in economic activities and benefit from economic growth. The Finance Minister said the government is also promoting a “creative economy” to help rural communities move beyond traditional economic activities. “For generations, many people in rural Bangladesh have been engaged in the same activities without being able to graduate from those conditions. We want to monetise these activities so that they become sustainable, create value addition and generate markets,” he said. He said products developed through such initiatives should not be confined to the domestic market but should eventually be made marketable globally. Khosru said the government alone cannot provide design, inputs, financing and market access to people in every village. “That is why we have brought the private sector and NGOs on board as partners. They have outreach and existing links with these communities,” he said. He said an executive committee has been formed involving designers, NGOs and organisations capable of delivering inputs and other services to ensure effective implementation. “Making policies and allocating resources in the budget is one thing, but delivery is another. Inshallah, we are working on the entire process in this way,” he said. The Finance Minister expressed optimism that Bangladesh would be able to move beyond the SDGs through coordinated efforts and a development approach centred on human potential. State Minister for Planning Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki said the government’s five-year development strategy goes beyond achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aiming instead at broader economic, social and democratic transformation of Bangladesh. “The SDGs are not merely an international obligation for us. Improving the lives of the people of Bangladesh is the government’s commitment, and this is clearly reflected in the election manifesto and the strategic framework,” he said. He said the government, following the Prime Minister’s directives, has been preparing a five-year strategic framework based on its election manifesto, with instructions for ministries and institutions to realign their activities and development projects accordingly. He said Bangladesh faces a financing gap of about US$421 billion, equivalent to more than Tk 50 lakh crore, to achieve the SDGs, making financing a major challenge for the country. Saki said the government is therefore working to reform the statistical and data management system so that accurate information can be collected and actual progress measured.