Germany to help establish good governance

Germany will intensify its support to Bangladesh for the establishment of transparent, citizen-responsive administration (good governance) in cities and municipalities of the country.
This was the most important result of the government negotiations on German-Bangladesh development cooperation that ended in the city on Monday.
A total of 51 million euros for 2008 and 2009 were committed during the negotiations, said a press release.
In the framework of a credit programme implemented with the Asian Development Bank, incentives will be given in future for cities and municipalities to orient their activities to poverty reduction and increase the participation of their own citizens in municipal planning processes.
This includes joint programme for investment in streets, public markets and water supply as well as improvements in living conditions in slums.
In addition to municipal development, measures to improve energy, efficiency and strengthen legal and social position of women in the country will be supported.
In order to help prevent climate-induced harm, German development cooperation is supporting, for the first time in Bangladesh, a programme to preserve bio-diversity and protect river banks of the country.