Dhaka – The BIDS experts demanded an “employment budget” to be included in the budget for the coming 2017-2018 fiscal to increase the employment growth in the formal sector. The new national budget for 2017-18 is expected to be placed in Parliament in the first week of June.Experts expressed their views on pre-budget (2017-18) discussion at the programme of “Development and Employment: Selected issues for Budget (2017-18)” held yesterday at the conference room of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) in the capital.
The programme was jointly organised by newly formed think tank, Centre for Development and Employment Research (CDER) and Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
Senior Visiting Fellow of CDER Rizwanul Islam and Executive Chairperson of CDER Rushidan Islam Rahman, Ph D has presented two different keynote papers regarding the “Development and Employment: Selected issues for Budget 2017-18” in Bangladesh.
Dr. KAS Murshid Director General of BIDS was commenced the seminar with an introductory remark.
Senior Visiting Fellow of CDER Rizwanul Islam presented a keynote paper on “Mainstreaming Employment in Development Policies and Programmes”, where he addressed a number of issues like; the impact on poverty, inequality and employment.
Rizwanul Islam expressed his views and said during 2005-10, GDP growth of 1.8 per cent could generate 1 per cent growth in employment but during 2010-13, 2.6 per cent GDP growth was needed to produce the same outcome.
“It means that employment generating ability of the economy has been declining over time and employment in the construction sector declined despite positive output growth”, he added.
Rizwanul Islam also informed that slow growth of employment growth is one of the major reasons for high rate of unemployment among the youth.
The “informal employment” in 2013 was 87 per cent and it should reduce the proportion to 60 per cent by 2030 informed the keynote speaker. – Staff Reporter
