Facilitating informal sector can help boost GDP: PM's economic adviser

Facilitating the country's informal sector can help to increase gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national income (GNI), said the Prime Minister's Adviser on Economic Affairs Mashiur Rahman Monday.

"The informal sector needs to be surveyed so it can be facilitated, it will increase GDP and GNI," he said while speaking as the chief guest at an event organised on the occasion of National Statistics Day 2023 on Monday.

State Minister for Planning Shamsul Alam was present at the event as the special guest. 

"Now is the time to appoint statisticians in various ministries," Mashiur Rahman said, adding that to get efficient statistics, the manpower of the statistical bureau should be increased.

Highlighting the success of development in the last decade, the State Minister for Planning Shamsul Alam said, "Due to the success of this integrated management of Bangladesh, the IMF loan was received."

"Even before this decade, growth was below 6%, which many economists called a trap. Bangladesh crossed that. Per capita income has tripled in the last decade. Achieved 16 international awards. That is why we can call the last decade as the golden decade," the minister added.

"The main tool for development is information. It is true that the post-Covid economic recovery has brought new challenges, but considerable success has been achieved. Bangladesh received IMF loan due to the success of its economic management," Shamsul Alam further said.

The minister said that more attention should be paid to businesses. 

"Bangladesh will become a high-income country by 2041 despite the downturns caused by the coronavirus pandemic. All plans have been taken for this purpose," he added.