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Govt plans to create 27 lakh new jobs: Kamal

Over 27 lakh new jobs will be created in the current fiscal year as the government has taken up programmes, including providing training to unemployed youths and sending seven lakh workers abroad, said Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal. "We are hopeful about creating over 27 lakh fresh jobs in fiscal year 2016-17 (FY17). We have already planned to send seven lakh youths abroad with jobs and training will be given a good number of youths for employment in different areas," the minister said while speaking at a meet the press programme at NEC conference room here today. He said the economic growth is expected to be 7.5 percent in FY17 as all economic indicators were in good position in the first six months of the current fiscal year. "We are expecting the FY17 as a very promising year for the economy because the economic indicators are in very strong position compared to that of fiscal year 2015-16," he added. The minister said the World Bank (WB) forecasts the GDP growth at 6.8 percent for FY17. It is a good projection as the WB did never make such a good projection in the past, he added. Kamal said the WB always maintains a conservative approach in estimating GDP growth rate that makes difference with the estimation of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). He said GDP increases mainly depending on agriculture, service and industrial sectors. But the agriculture sector witnesses a downward trend and for this reason, the government has planned to use modern technology in agriculture sector, he added. About downward trend in the inflow of remittances, the planning minister said remittances are coming in through informal channels and the government is planning to give incentive to encourage Bangladeshi migrants to send home money by using formal channels. He also said the government has planned to strengthen Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) and BBS.

Source : BSS