PM confident in attaining 7pc growth
ECNEC approves 4 projects worth nearly Tk 2,475cr
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that her governments target is to achieve 7 per cent GDP growth in the current fiscal year. She is confident of attaining the target, though she admitted that it would be a tough job.
She was speaking at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) at the NEC conference room in the city yesterday. In her speech, she thanked all members and officials of the Planning Commission for their efforts, saying that Bangladesh had received the UN Champions of the Earth award and the ICT Sustainable Development Award because of all-out support from its people.
She said her governments target was to turn Bangladesh into a dignified developed nation. Hasina added that international organisations were now making upward growth projections of 6.5 to 6.7 per cent for the country.
At the meeting, the ECNEC sanctioned the Establishment of Four-Tier National Data Centre project at an estimated cost of Tk. 1,516.91 crore to ensure optimum use of information and communications technology (ICT) in government activities as well as the centres safety.
Briefing the media after the meeting, planning minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said four development projects were approved at an estimated cost of Tk. 2,474.95 crore. Of that, Tk. 1,089.54 crore will come from the government exchequer and the rest, Tk. 1,385.41 crore, from project assistance, he said.
Minister of state for finance and planning, MA Mannan, was also present at the briefing.
The Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC), under the ICT Division, will implement the project by June 2018. Of the estimated project cost of Tk. 1,516.91 crore, the government will provide Tk. 317.55 crore, while the rest, Tk. 1,199.36 crore, will come as project assistance from China EXIM Bank.
The planning minister said the capacity of the existing data centre is insufficient with respect to the governments requirements. There is demand for over 200 racks at the National Board of Revenue (NBR), land ministry, Land Records and Survey Department (DLRS), banking and financial institutions, educational institutions and the Power Division. There is need for an exclusive high-security building for the data centre. Under the circumstances, the project has been approved, he added.
Kamal said once implemented, the project would make all activities of the government paperless.
Currently, the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) is setting up with state funds a Tier-II Certified Data Centre, which is being extended by the Bangla GovNet and Info Sarker projects.
The building for the Uptime Institute-certified Tier-IV National Data Centre would be built on a seven-acre plot at Block 4 of Kaliakoir Hi-Tech Park, while the governments shared data centres hosting capacity would be enhanced.
The project summary says it would also help the government materialise Vision 2021 by enhancing working skills, ensuring transparency, accountability, proper utilization of resources and proper planning, and improving standards of services in public administration overall.
