DHAKA, Aug 19, 2024 (BSS) - Putting utmost priority on generating more
employments and stabilizing the economy, Adviser to the interim government on
the Ministries of Planning and Education Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud today said that
generating more employments is now more important than boosting the GDP
growth.

"Massive problem now exists centering the GDP and it won't work only with
increasing the GDP growth. Qualitative standard was not ensured over the
years and our priority is now to generate more employments and stabilizing
the economy," he said.

The Planning Adviser was talking to reporters after holding a view-exchange
meeting with the concerned officials of the Ministry of Planning and its
subordinate bodies and divisions held at the NEC Conference Room in the
city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.

He said that it is important to save fund from the additional expenses of the
development projects and thus utilize those for generating more employments.

"To me, it's much more important to generate more employments than increasing
the GDP growth. But, these two are also interconnected," he added.

The eminent economist alleged that the previous government had tried to
implement many infrastructural projects without considering the liabilities
of their funding either from local and foreign sources. Besides, some of
those projects were also undertaken without considering the priority as well
as considering the interests of the vested quarter.

He informed that the projects which are ongoing and at the primary stage
would be reconsidered.

Highlighting the importance of grooming human resources, Dr Wahiduddin said
that no country can prosper only with the help of infrastructural
development, rather human resources development is very much necessary.
"Without human resources, infrastructures are like skeletons,"

The Adviser said that in his current capacity as in-charge of both the
Ministries of Planning and Education, it would be possible for him to ensure
human resources development.

Asked about the current state and future plans on the mega projects, he said
the government would not pursue any singe policy rather additional expenses
usually occur if there is delay or revision of such projects time and again.

The Adviser said many development projects including big projects had to
revise even four to five times and suggested the Implementation, Monitoring
and Evaluation Division (IMED) to prepare a report so that such mistakes
could not reoccur in future.

"We'll try to find out why those mistakes were committed. Those flaws which
are at the initial stage will be amended," he added.

Replying to another question, Dr Wahiduddin said that although the Bangladesh
Bureau of Statistics (BBS) deals with publishing statistics on inflation,
GDP, and other social indices, but there were doubts over the credibility of
those data.

"I'll try to look after those...whether there were errors due to lack of
skills or intentional faults," he added.

Replying to another question, the Adviser informed that top officials of over
40 public universities are yet to rejoin their work since they are traceless
following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the wake of
recent student led mass uprising.

It is also a big challenge to resume the operations of those universities, he
said adding that such condition is also now prevailing at the education
sector and also at the administration.