Bangladesh to attain SDGs before 2030: Kamal

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal today hoped that Bangladesh would be able to achieve the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ahead of 2030 as all necessary preparation has been taken from the top position of the government.

"Bangladesh successfully implemented Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and it would be able to achieve the target of SDGs following the trend of MDGs," said the minister while speaking at a seminar on "Sustainable Development Goals: Implementation of the targets" at the NEC auditorium here.

He said the government has been implementing Vision-2021 and it has also been taking preparation from top level to implement the targets of SDGs.

"We`re hopeful about achieving 7.5 percent economic growth in the current fiscal year. Such higher growth and successful implementation of MDGs will help us attain the 17 SDGs," he added.

General Economics Division and UNDP jointly organized the seminar with member (senior secretary) of GED Dr Shamsul Alam in the chair. Chief Coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Affairs in the Prime Minister`s Office Md Abul Kalam Azad, UNDP`s country director Sudipto Mukerjee, editor of The Financial Express AHM Moazzem Hossain, president of National Press Club Muhammad Shafikur Rahman and associate editor of Bengali daily the Prothom Alo Abdul Quayum Mukul, among others, spoke at the seminar.

The planning minister said the country is achieving economic growth in line with the 7th Five Year Plan and the country is expected to achieve 6 percent growth in 2020. The government has taken steps to make this growth more inclusive and as part of it, the government has taken steps for creating more jobs in the country, he said.

About the implementation of SDGs, Kamal said the government has already included the targets of SDGs in the 7th Five Year Plan and ministries and divisions have been given specific responsibilities. For proper evaluation of the implementation progress of SDGs, preparation of a result-based framework is now at final stage, he added.

Md Abul Kalam Azad urged the media to make positive criticism about the implementation of SDGs and different development programmes of the government.

Cover of Bengali version of the 7th Five Year Plan was also unveiled at the seminar.

Source: BSS