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Download PDF The government yesterday approved in principle a proposal submitted by a Malaysian company for building one lakh apartments for low and middle income groups in the capital, but with a caveat that local companies must also have the opportunity to take part in the project.
In another decision the government yesterday decided to offload shares of Meghna and Jamuna oil companies by October.
“We have approved the proposal in principle but the project will not be implemented the way the Malaysian company proposed,” Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam told reporters about their decision regarding building low-priced apartments after a meeting of the advisers’ committee on economic affairs.
“We want our local companies to participate in this mammoth task,” he said.
The finance adviser said the large-scale work will be put on tenders in phases, as it might not be possible to find a single local firm competent enough to implement such a big housing project all by itself.
Meeting sources said Malaysia based company, Metro Ikram Sdn Bhd, submitted a proposal to the Bangladesh government for building one lakh apartments in the capital under the ‘build and transfer’ (BT) system.
The meeting also decided to offload up to 49 percent shares of each of the state owned Meghna and Jamuna oil companies by October.
Chaired by Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam the committee however rejected a proposal from the industries ministry for providing financial help to sick industries, including waiver of bank loans and the interests on them.
Another proposal from the same ministry for declaring the newly established leather and leather goods industry at Savar near the capital as a special economic zone, also failed to get approval of the committee.
About offloading the shares of Jamuna and Meghna oil companies, the finance adviser said the process of offloading the shares of the two state owned oil companies might be completed by October.
The government will continue to own 51 percent shares in each of the oil companies, he said.
About not providing financial help to sick industries, Mirza Azizul Islam said financial help like waiving bank loans and interests on them do not bring any change to sick industries, rather the situation worsens.
“It has been proven in the past that no sick industry gets out of its sickness after getting financial assistance,” he said.
About not announcing the newly established leather and leather goods industry at Savar as a special economic zone, the finance adviser said, “We do not have necessary laws for announcing such industrial areas as special economic zones.”
August 14th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
What One lakh Taka will build ?
Few pieces of Bricks!
Where £1 can buy Tk 139.00 what kinds of flat will be built?
Is it like the one we saw in Pakistani Time.
Executives quarters build by Pakistani contractors contained holes in the walls covered
by cement & jute bags?
Who will supervise the work. Another group of
Bribed Civil Engineers!
Donot create a fund to build frazile flats
designed in Computer Webs, If you want to help the poor, make these flats durable ,donot mock with the poors or mock will follow you all with human curse!
Thank You
August 15th, 2007 at 5:46 am
One lakh homes for low and middle income groups in the capital are not enough as neutral disaster cause to the country as whole, since Independence the poorer citizens has been neglected by the politicians, its about time Bangladesh caretaker government introduce to build low cost social housing and state funds for the poorer citizens of the country. As we all have witnessed previously and at present situation, that millions are homeless.