Coming to the shore, Tari is drowning. Although 75 percent is completed, there is a fear of closure after the fall of the Awami League government. The implementation of this plan was supposed to start from July 2025. But in its creation, the implementation of the executive manifesto of the newly departed government through the student uprising was given prime importance. Besides, everything was a reflection of the policy and will of that government. Therefore, those concerned think that the interim government will stop the work of making it at any time. However, the Planning Commission’s General Economics Department (GED) is in the dark as there is no direction in this regard till Monday. Because the organization is responsible for making it.
If you want to know about this, GED member (secretary) Dr. Md. Kausar Ahmad told Jugantar that the work of making the plan is almost at the final stage. However, there is no indication yet whether it will be discontinued, or whether significant revisions will be made. However, there are guidelines to work towards the implementation of the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) goals. It may be known only after the meeting of the advisory council.
According to several sources related to the Planning Commission, since it was being built by the Awami League government, it is only a matter of time before it gets closed. Besides, whether the interim government will keep the five-year plan or not has also become a big question. Maybe again take a plan like Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The PRSP stands for the document required by a Heavily Indebted Poor Country to apply for loan funds to the IMF or the World Bank. Or there is a possibility of taking a short term one year plan. In this case, after the completion of the first year, the remaining work of this plan in the second year of that continuity will automatically be added to the second year.
According to sources, the eighth five-year plan will end from June next year. Earlier, the recently deposed Awami League government had prepared and implemented the Sixth and Seventh Five Year Plans. Besides, most of the Eighth Five Year Plan has been completed. In that continuation, the work of making the ninth plan was going on.
According to sources, 11 issues were given special importance in the ninth five-year plan, including inflation control. These are – increasing GDP growth, increasing public-private investment, increasing revenue, implementing the government’s (defunct Awami League) election manifesto, developing skills, ensuring quality education and meeting the challenge of exiting the list of least developed countries. Also, in terms of industry, development of jute, leather and cottage small and medium industries, accelerating implementation of SDGs, blue and space economy and infrastructure development.
But the current interim government does not agree with the policies and ideals of the outgoing government. Apart from this, the Planning Commission has not yet given any instructions as to whether the new government will continue the five-year plan or implement any other plan as long as it fulfills the responsibility of running the state. The education and planning advisor of the interim government was serving as the head of the panel of economists in the preparation of the ninth five-year plan. Wahid Uddin Mahmud. No instructions came from him either. However, the General Economics Department has already suspended the work of preparing the plan. Because they have to pay only if they work with consultants. Again, if this plan is canceled later, then there may be complications in paying the bills. Considering these various aspects, its activities are closed for the time being.
Sources also said that the preparation of the technical paper has already been completed. About 25-30 background papers are in progress. A meeting was also held to take the opinion of all the secretaries on the preliminary draft concept paper of this plan. Although the rate of inflation has almost doubled compared to the current 8th Five Year Plan, one of the objectives of the new plan under process was to bring the prices of daily commodities under control. That is inflation control. Besides, the poverty rate has come down to 18.7 percent and extreme poverty is 5.6 percent during the ongoing Eighth Five Year Plan implementation period. The new plan was setting a target of reducing the poverty rate to 11 percent by 2028 and ending extreme poverty by 2031. The Ninth Five Year Plan is supposed to give special importance to increase private sector investment and foreign direct investment.