Industries Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir stated on Thursday that eliminating overlapping projects run by different ministries could ensure double-digit efficiency gains. The government is currently moving to review such duplication in an effort to boost national productivity.
Speaking at an event organised by the Ministry of Industries in Motijheel, he stated that efforts are currently underway to examine whether projects implemented by different ministries overlap with one another.
“No issue today is confined to one country; we have to look at the whole world,” the minister said. He added that it is not possible to remain outside the existing global system even if one wishes to.
“So, there is no alternative to raising productivity. The nation that increases productivity will be the one that advances,” he said.
Referring to the ready-made garment (RMG) sector, Muktadir stated that it has demonstrated how progress can be achieved even with workers coming from marginalised sections of society.
Speaking at the event, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Executive Director Nazneen Ahmed stated that small enterprises require support to transition into medium-sized businesses, adding that the government coordinates with various sectors to facilitate this growth.
She stressed the need to examine whether these initiatives involve duplication.
Nazneen stated that the government requires assistance in designing productivity training, while adding that replacing people with machines should not be the objective.
Instead, she said, attention should be directed toward how machinery and technology can enhance workers' skills, while innovation must also be increased.
The CPD executive director noted that women’s participation in large industries is declining.
“Women cannot take the skills training required for automation because of household pressures, so they are falling behind in skill-based jobs,” she said.
She also proposed a refinancing scheme for the SME sector, stating that linking loans to productivity improvement could lead to significant growth within the sector.
Why it matters
Eliminating project duplication across ministries aims to enhance national productivity and economic efficiency in Bangladesh.