TIB calls for national strategy, special coronavirus fund

Transparency International Bangladesh has called for developing a national strategy containing short, medium and long-term action plan to manage and steer the recovery process from socio-economic setbacks being caused by the extraordinary national crisis due to coronavirus (COVID-19) situation.

TIB, in a statement issued on Saturday, also recommended a special fund equivalent to at least 10 per cent of GDP for this purpose and called for ensuring transparency and accountability in implementation of the strategy.

TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman also stressed the need of enhancing the capacity to detect coronavirus infection and treatment.

He said, ‘Doctors and health workers must get full protection and their valuable service duly recognised.’

Praising the prime minister’s initiative in aid of workers of the export-oriented sectors and ultra-poor in his March 25 speech, he said that the implementation of this important initiative, including how its benefits would reach the workers, must be clearly defined without delay.

Similarly, the remit of such initiatives must be expanded to equally include the ultra-poor and disadvantaged sections, especially low-income groups like day-labourers, farmers, rickshaw-pullers, domestic workers, small traders and the self-employed who have already or may soon become jobless, he added.

The statement also urged upon the richer sections of the society to proactively contribute.

It also drew the attention of multinational companies, foreign investors and businesses as well as regional, international organisations, and bilateral and multilateral development partners of Bangladesh who had stakes in development and socio-economic stability of Bangladesh. (Source: New Age)