Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has said that Bangladesh is in the safe zone in terms of receiving the foreign loans. He made the remarks while briefing reporters after the two consecutive meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) and Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase (CCPP) on Thursday. Also read:Govt to consult with all on proposed universal pension scheme: Finance Minister Defending his remarks, he said Bangladesh’s debt-GDP ratio is 34 percent which is lowest in the world. Our foreign exchange reserves are much higher than requirement, remittance is increasing, export is growing, and inflation is under control. We’re in the safe zone”, he said. Kamal said the whole world is appreciating Bangladesh for its economic performances. He said the countries having debt higher than their GDP (gross domestic products) are currently in danger. “But we are not at that level. Rather, our debt is much lower than GDP,” he asserted. Responding to another question, the finance minister said the toll rates of the Padma Bridge have not been fixed yet. But a joint venture of South Korea and China has been awarded a contract to collect the tolls from the Padma Bridge project. Also read:NBR works for win-win tax in upcoming budget: Finance Minister “We didn’t do any detailed work on it. But we have a plan to make some profits by collecting revenue from the Padma Bridge project in order to implement more similar projects”, he said. He said both the government and the users of the Padma Bridge will benefit from the project. “We hope we could collect more revenue than the requirements to meet its expenditures”, he added.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday “in principle” approved a proposal to purchase 11 aerial platform ladders, some rescue items, primary treatment accessories and personal safety gears for conducting rescue operations during earthquakes and other disasters. The Department of Disaster Management (DDM) under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief will purchase the equipment from suppliers through direct procurement method (DPM) without following the open tender process. Read: Cabinet approves President’s draft speech to be delivered in Parliament These items, which will be procured under different packages, also include vests, raincoats, hardhats, gumboots and lifejackets. However, the cost and suppliers’ names were not disclosed at this stage as the proposal will again be placed in the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase (CCPP) for final approval, said the concerned officials. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the meeting while members of the committee attended it. Meanwhile, a total of 13 procurement proposals of different departments were approved by the CCPP at a separate meeting. These proposals include setting up of an 114,300 mt capacity Steel Silo for wheat storage in Chattogram at a cost of Tk 537.57 crore under “Modern Food Storage Facilities Project (MFSP)” of the Food Ministry. Joint Venture of 1. Confidence Infrastructure Limited, Bangladesh and 2. The GSI Group LLC, USA won the contracts of the project. Read: Cabinet committee seeks Law Division’s opinion to retrieve e-commerce customers' money stuck in gateways Another 76,200 mt capacity Steel Silo for wheat will also be built in Khulna which was awarded to Joint Venture of 1. Max Infrastructure Limited, Bangladesh and 2. ALTUNTAS of Turkey at Tk 355.91 crore. The committee also approved proposals for appointment of consultants for Rajshahi WASA water treatment projects, awarding Tk 2,877.93 crore contract to TAEYOUNG Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd., South Korea for underground sewerage project in Chattogram, construction of high-rise multi-storage apartment building at Mirpur by the Public Works Department.