Treasure trove for development funding
Government to tap Tk200,000 crore deposits of state organisations
The government will take away nearly Tk212,100 crore deposited by state-owned organisations with banks and invest the amount in development work.
The decision was made at the cabinet meeting today with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The cabinet gave its nod to a draft for a law that will facilitate 68 state-owned and autonomous bodies such as the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), and the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) to deposit their idle money with the national exchequer.
The BPC tops the list with about Tk21,500 crore in long-term deposit with banks, followed by the BPDB with Tk13,451 crore and the CPA with Tk9,913 crore.
Whatever is stated in other laws, the new law – when enacted – will prevail, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said, briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting.
The cabinet also approved a proposal to offload shares of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation to raise funds for the development of the state-owned transport agency.