The outbreak of coronavirus has prompted the government to assess the potential economic losses in the country and to prepare a strategy accordingly to cope with this all-engulfing virus. The strategy to mitigate the losses will be made through analysing the overall situation in the fields of local and international trade, commerce and economy.
Sources said an urgent meeting in this regard is scheduled to be held at 11 am on Monday at the Prime Minister Office (PMO). The meeting titled “Global Outbreak of Coronavirus: Impact on Bangladesh Economy and Strategy to Overcome it” has been called by PMO. Sources said Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Kaikaus will chair the meeting while all the senior secretaries and secretaries of the ministries concerned are expected to attend it.
Industries Ministry Secretary Md Abdul Halim told Bangladesh Post on Saturday that the meeting will guide the ministries concerned on how to keep the positive trend of GDP growth as usual by analysing the losses. He said the ministries concerned will submit their own assessment, analysis and strategies about the feared losses due to coronavirus situation and how to recover them.
"From the Industries Ministry we are also planning to submit our strategy. We work mainly with the small, medium and cottage industries, light engineering, leather and women entrepreneurs. We have already done some analysis with many of them, and we will share those in the meeting", the secretary said.
President of the country's apex trade body, the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Sheikh Fazle Fahim told Bangladesh Post on Saturday that the government, since the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak, has taken it so seriously, and has been holding series of meetings in this regard.
"Sometimes they are involving the private sector and it is expected that the Monday's meeting will be in a broader aspect which will guide all concerned on how to assess the losses, to mitigate them and prepare a concrete strategy in this regard," Fahim said. He said that as apex trade body, the FBCCI is also making a move to analyze the losses in the private sector and it will quantify the sector-wise losses. He said they have already held meetings with ministries of commerce and industries to work with due coordination in this connection.
