Says Muhith, seeks NGO help
Staff Correspondent
Finance and Planning Minister AMA Muhith yesterday sought cooperation of the NGOs to eliminate begging from the country within five years.
“Awami League in its election manifesto pledged to eliminate begging within five years but there is no model for achieving the target. So, a model has to be developed and NGOs can help in this regard,” he said this while speaking as the chief guest at a cheque distribution ceremony to the small NGOs at CIRDAP auditorium.
He said there is no up-to-date statistics regarding the total number of beggars in the country adding six to seven years back country’s total number of beggars was about 6 lakh but this number may have increased now.
Muhith said it is possible to eliminate begging from the country if we make a determination.
The finance minister said now there are many foundations working in the country with huge investment but there is no scope for investment in the country and added that insurance companies have also a huge amount of money but they could not invest the money for lack of scope for investment. “It is one kind of crisis in the economy,” he observes.
He urged the companies for keeping five per cent quota for the country’s various foundations in the Initial Public Offer (IPO).
Muhith said the NGOs are giving loan in the agriculture sector but they do not provide loan in crop sector. He urged the NGOs to increase loan disbursement in the crop sector.
NGO Foundation disbursed cheques worth Tk 73.50 lakh among 50 associate NGOs.
NGO Foundation chairman and former adviser of caretaker government M Hafizuddin Khan also spoke on the occasion.
Courtesy: thedailystar.net
