Kamal seeks budgetary support from Jica

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal today sought budgetary support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica).

The minister made the plea when Jica President Tanaka Akihiko paid a courtesy call on him at his office at the secretariat in Dhaka.

"I believe that Jica, considering the global uncertainty in the future, will increase further funding to implement our important projects, including the necessary budgetary support," Kamal said.

He also mentioned that the budget support provided by Japan to Bangladesh at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic is the first budgetary support in the history of both Bangladesh and Japan.

"It [budgetary support] has helped us mitigate the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and deal with the Russia-Ukraine crisis," the minister said.

By the day, Japan has become the single largest bilateral development partner of Bangladesh, Kamal said.

The Jica president said Bangladesh is an important country to Jica in the case of its cooperation.

Bangladesh is now far ahead of different neighbouring countries in various economic and social indicators, Akihiko said while appreciating the country's economic progress. 

Due to the successful implementation of the cooperation, Bangladesh is currently one of the countries on the list of Japan's official development cooperation, the Jica president added.

Japanese Ambassador Ito Naoki and Jica's Resident Representative Yuho Hayakawa, Secretary to the Department of Economic Relations Sharifa Khan and other officials of the Jica and the finance ministry joined the meeting.