No headway in Titas smart prepaid meter project

Though two separate deals were signed with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank about a year ago to install some 17.5 lakh (1.75 million) smart pre-paid metres, the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company has made little progress in implementing the project. "Only some individual consultants were appointed by

WB pledges support for vital reforms in Bangladesh

Pledging the World Bank's support for critical reforms to help the country achieve inclusive and sustainable growth, its Vice President for South Asia Martin Raiser on Thursday said Bangladesh has the opportunity to implement critical reforms that were unaddressed for a longtime. Raiser met Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and discussed

WB team expresses satisfaction over PFM reforms

A high level World Bank (WB) team expressed satisfaction over the significant progress in Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms and emphasized on the further expansion of iBAS++ (Integrated Budget and Accounting System) network and strengthening the SOE governance. Expressing interest in working with the government of Bangladesh to develop PFM Reform

World Bank enables private capture of profits, public resources

The World Bank insists commercial finance is necessary for achieving economic recovery and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but does little to ensure profit-hungry commercial finance serves the public interest. By failing to address pressing challenges within their purview, the second-ever Bretton Woods institutions’ (BWIs) annual meetings on the African continent,

Govt seeks $500m WB loan to bolster reserves

The Bangladesh government has asked the World Bank’s ‘Second Recovery and Resilience Development Policy Credit’ for a $500 million loan to stabilise the economy and strengthen its foreign exchange reserves. The Ministry of Finance recently asked the World Bank for an additional $250 million in budget support for the current fiscal

World’s poorest nations to slash public spending by over $229b

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are returning to Africa, for the first time in decades, with the “same old failed message”. “Cut your spending, sack public service workers, and pay your debts– despite the huge human costs” says Oxfam International’s interim Executive Director Amitabh Behar, following the

WB lowers country’s growth projection for FY24

The World Bank in its latest update has projected Bangladesh's economic growth to be 5.6 percent in the 2023-24 fiscal year ending next June. The global lender in its previous projection in April, forecasted a 6.2 percent GDP growth for the current fiscal year. The report's companion piece, the latest "South Asia