BB governor stresses massive infrastructure development for ICT
Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman yesterday called upon the authorities concerned to go for massive infrastructure development for the expansion of ICT facilities.
"There is no alternative to infrastructure development for expansion of information and communication technology [ICT] facilities in the country to implement the Vision 2021."
Rahman was speaking at a discussion titled "Use of ICT in trade, investment, banking and financial system" at the NEC conference room at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka.
UNDP-funded Access to Information (A2I) Programme under the Prime Minister's Office in collaboration with the Science and ICT Ministry and Planning Division of the Planning Commission arranged the meeting.
Member of General Economics Division (GED) of the Planning Commission Shamsul Alam delivered the welcome address, while chief of GED Fakrul Ahsan was the moderator of the discussion.
The central bank chief said ICT sector is playing a vital role in supporting and maintaining the country's economic development by simplifying, hosting and integrating activities at different levels.
"Empirical analyses suggest that there is a strong correlation between a country's socio-economic development and its proficiency in science and technology. With a view to developing a Digital Bangladesh, the present government has placed its 'Vision 2021' where high performing inclusive economic growth will be attained with the virtue of modern ICT," Rahman said.
He said Bangladesh Bank (BB), being the monetary authority of the country, is at the forefront of the government's firm commitment to be digitised. "The central bank has adopted advanced ICT in all spheres of its functions including monetary policy, banking supervision and internal management."
BB has already introduced e-banking, e-commerce, e-recruitment, e-tendering, mobile banking, automated clearing house which are some historic moves towards achieving technology-led productivity across all economic sectors including agriculture and small and medium enterprise, he said.
Not only BB, he said, the non-banking financial institutions have come forward for infrastructure development for the countrywide ICT expansion.
The governor said the central bank has undertaken various initiatives to mitigate the sufferings of the people. "It will be possible to get access to credit information bureau from January next," he said.
Rahman said BB will introduce international credit card for students and software exporters by the year-end on limited scale. "To this end, we are preparing a guideline."
He said over six crore people are now linked through mobile phone and this linking is their social investment, which is making a huge contribution to the country's economy.
The BB boss laid emphasis on the massive use of ICT in the private sector through which 78 percent investment is made in the country. "The private sector will have to be made more effective and dynamic by using ICT," he said.
Policymakers, representatives of government and non-government organisations, banks and trade bodies were also present on the occasion.
Comments