May 18, 2003	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 15, 1424

DHAKA, May 17: The development partners of Bangladesh began on Saturday the annual review of government’s performance in different sectors, raising critical issues of rampant corruption and politicization and deteriorating law and order — two main stumbling blocks to the investment and development.

They, however, noted with happiness the government’s reform measures for macroeconomic stability and Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP), the prescription for accessing a billion-dollar aid package.

Following the positive note, the government is now optimistic about getting $2.1 billion from the donors over the next three years, competent sources indicated.

Inaugurating the two-day meet of the Bangladesh Development Forum (BDF)-2003, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia sought all cooperation from bilateral and multilateral lending agencies in carrying out development activities.

And, she admitted that her government was yet to address “a number of development and governance problems” and made a fresh promise to accomplish much more in the days ahead.

Coordinator for the BDF meeting and World Bank vice-president for South Asia Mieko Nishimizu vented dissatisfaction over the state of governance and poor law and order that affected hundreds of thousands of masses, even though she was convinced with the government’s actions.

“The steps taken by the government can catch only the big fishes. What about the fate of millions? And its corruption which costs 2-3 per cent of Bangladesh’s GDP of $50 billion,” she told reporters at the end of the first day’s sessions in the evening.

Admitting the problems of governance and law and order, finance and planning minister said the government had taken a good number of initiatives and achieved success too. “But an 18-month time is not enough to address so many issues,” he said.

Earlier, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia also said that despite remarkable successes on different fronts in the last one and a half years, her government was not fully satisfied with the achievements.

Representatives of 24 multilateral and bilateral donors joined the BDF Dhaka meet to look at Bangladesh’s development plans and devise their own strategy before making any pledge for disbursing assistance by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

From the first day’s deliberations the government took hopes for about getting $2.1 billion from the donors over the next three years.

When asked in which areas the donors’ reiterated their concerns, the World Bank country director Frederick T Temple pointed his finger at human rights status, excessive bureaucratic control and investment climate.

Both Temple and Nishimizu had all the praises for the government’s structural reforms in banking, financial sector, state-owned enterprises, energy sector and environment. And they hinted at a rubberstamping of the I-PRSP, terming it a good document.

This year’s focal point of the BDF meet is though the I-PRSP as per agenda, the governance, law and order came to the fore when WB’s Nishimizu said the donors are skeptical about Bangladesh since the situation had worsened and continued for the worse.

Apart from focus on governance, the issue of jumbo-size Cabinet came up for discussion. And Finance Minister Saifur Rahman himself conceded that it cost taxpayers’ money, Nishimizu pointed out. “Someone raised the issue of politicisation of the administration,” she said without elaborating.

IMF representative Chenpen Puhkatikom appreciated the government measures like privatizing the loss-making public enterprises, which laid positive impact on the country’s economy. She also stressed continued prudent monitoring policy for sustaining the achievements.