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“Most of the stimulus packages are directly or indirectly related to the resumption economy of the country.Among the packages, the highest amount of Tk 30,000 crore has been allocated for providing working capital facility to the affected industries and services sector organizations followed by Tk 20,000 crore stimulus package for supplying working capital to the small (including cottage industries) and medium industrial enterprises,” a source of the Prime Minister’s office told UNB.
The other stimulus packages declared by the government are special fund for the export-oriented industries with Tk 5,000 crore and expanding the facilities of Export Development Fund (EDF) introduced by Bangladesh Bank with Tk 12,750 crore.
The government has taken the responsibility of rolling the wheels of economy of the country as it was more or less stagnant since March 26, the source said.
The Prime Minister who is shouldering the whole process has decided to save the life as well as reopen the economic activities for the betterment of the country and its people.
She directed the authorities concerned to engage the local public representatives in a greater way in containing novel coronavirus in the country.
The government has already appointed 64 secretaries to look after the relief distribution works in 64 districts.
It has already appointed 2000 doctors and 5054 nurses to expedite its fight against COVID-19 while the Prime Minister has approved a proposal to recruit 3000 more medical technologist, technicians and cardiographers to improve COVID-19 test and healthcare services, according to the source.
PM's press secretary Ihsanul Karim Said that from the very beginning of this COVID-19 crisis the Prime Minister looking after the situation round the clock and giving various necessary directives to the concerned people.
"The Prime Minister is very much concerned about the lives of the people as well as the economy," he said.
Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday last in the Executive Committee on National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting said that the COVID-19 has slowed down the economic pace of the country to some extent and it might cause some hurdles for achieving the target to make the country a developing one within 2021.
About gradual opening of economic and other activities in the country she told said that the government took the step for the convenience of the general people of the country.
"We took the decision so that common people can continue and roll their live and livelihood," she said.
To roll on the economy of the country the government from the very beginning of the shutdown declared various types of stimulus packages for the business and trade which would ultimately benefit the economy of the country.
The other stimulus packages declared by the government are special fund for the export-oriented industries with Tk 5,000 crore and expanding the facilities of Export Development Fund (EDF) introduced by Bangladesh Bank with Tk 12,750 crore.
Besides, incentive packages like Pre-Shipment Credit Refinance Scheme with Tk 5,000 crore, agriculture subsidy with Tk 9,500 crore, agriculture refinancing scheme with Tk 5,000 crore, refinancing scheme for the low-income professional farmers and small businessmen with Tk 3,000 crore.
A total of Tk 2,500 crore was allocated to Palli Sanchay Bank, Karmasangsthan Bank, Probsahi Kalyan Bank and Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation to help the youths and expatriates who lost jobs for the pandemic.
Another Tk 5,000 crore has been allocated for the farmers at only 4 percent interest to offset the agriculture fallout of the COVID-19.
The government will provide Tk 2000 crore to the commercial banks as subsidy so that they could waive this money as interest from around 1.38 crore persons who took loans from banks to run their businesses.