The government will hold an urgent meeting on Monday to determine the possible losses to the econnomy over coronavirus outbreak.
It will also prepare a strategy to offset the economic losses caused by the coronavirus, an official said.
The meeting titled “Global Outbreak of Coronavirus: Impact on Bangladesh Economy and Strategy to Overcome from it” is being called by the Prime Minister Office (PMO) at 11:00 am.
“There will be a meeting at the PMO on Monday on the outbreak of coronavirus and its effects on the global and Bangladesh economy,” a joint secretary of the ministry of industries (MoI) told the FE on Saturday.
He said the principal secretary to the prime minister Dr Ahmad Kaikaus will chair the meeting.
All the senior secretaries and secretaries of the ministries concerned are expected to attend the meeting, he said.
The industries ministry official further said the government has given directives to all the ministries to prepare and submit their respective recommendations at the meeting.
He said they have asked all the corporations under the MoI to submit their respective recommendations to the ministry that will be put forward to the meeting.
He said all the corporations have already submitted their reports to the MoI.
“We are preparing our (MoI) recommendations in line with the suggestions given by the corporations under the industries ministry that will be presented at the PMO meeting,” the industries ministry official further said.
The ongoing deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has caused around 84 per cent decline in the country’s export.
Besides, the backward linkage industry and other sectors have also been facing a setback due to coronavirus.
Meanwhile, the businessmen in the country have welcomed the upcoming meeting at the PMO.
They suggested the government form a taskforce incorporating the private sector.
“We welcome the upcoming meeting. We call upon the government to form a public-private taskforce so that we could deal with the matter (economic losses and others) jointly,” former president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Asif Ibrahim told the FE.
He welcomed the initiatives so far taken by the government and the private sector to combat the fast spreading coronavirus.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com