Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal today
said the government would not face any such problem if the country’s COVID-19
pandemic remains in control.

“If the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) remains in control, in that case I
think there won’t be any such problem,” he said while responding to questions
of reporters after chairing two separate meetings of the Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs and the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase.

The Finance Minister said the arenas of global economy are aligned and
related to one another adding, “If our foreign buyers are affected severely,
then we might go through some tough time,”

He said despite the impacts, the government could control the domestic
market through various fiscal and monetary policy measures. “But, if the
impact from the international market lasts long, then there could be some
problems,” added Kamal.

Answering a question, he said the government is going on with the COVID-19
vaccination programme and once the Vaccination programme is completed, then
the infection rate and the impacts of COVID-19 would come down.

Replying to another question, the Finance Minister said that if the global
economies do not face such problems due to the rise in COVID-19 infection
rate, in the same way Bangladesh would not fall into such danger as the
country would be able to withstand it.

When asked whether the government measures are adequate enough to contain
the surge of COVID-19 infection rate, Kamal said apart from the ongoing
vaccination programme, the government has also issued an 18-point directive
to contain the infection rate. “If the directives are followed properly, then
I think the infection rate will come down,”

He told another questioner that there is no such apprehension or doubt
right at the moment of not beginning the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccines
adding there is no reason for not getting the vaccines as the government has
already paid the money in this regard.

When sought comments over the latest GDP growth projection by the World
Bank, the Finance Minister said the lending agency is satisfied with the
methodology and parameters that Bangladesh follows as computing the GDP
growth.

He said the government has been following the same methodology over the
last 12 years for estimating the GDP growth and the lending agencies like the
World Bank accept those finally.

“I think the difference between the projections of us and them (World
Bank) is temporary as at the end of the year, they accept our estimations and
calculations.” Kamal said adding that usually the World Bank gives their
projections monthly, quarterly or periodically, but the government gives its
final estimation at the end of a year.

According to the latest South Asia Economic Focus released by the World
Bank, the outlook for Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan has been revised upward,
supported by better than expected remittance inflows: Bangladesh’s gross
domestic product (GDP) is expected to increase by 3.6 percent in 2021,
Nepal’s GDP is projected to grow by 2.7 percent in the fiscal year 2021-22
and recover to 5.1 percent by 2023, Pakistan’s growth is expected to reach
1.3 percent in 2021, slightly above previous projections.