Dhaka, May 16: Bangladesh will outline plans to get more jobs, education and health care to its poor - who account for half the country's 130 million people - at an annual meeting with donors this weekend. Government leaders and representatives of 24 donor countries and agencies will attend the two-day meeting in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, the finance ministry said today. The review of Bangladesh's economic performance and needs comes each year ahead of the start of the fiscal year on July 1.

Donors include the United States, European countries and the World Bank. They provide nearly us$2 billion in annual aid to Bangladesh to build roads, bridges, and schools and bring health care to the poor.

"We are keen on reducing poverty," said finance minister Saifur Rahman. "We hope to get more foreign aid in our poverty reduction programs."
Last month, a report by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank praised Bangladesh's success in reducing poverty, but said it was not enough.

The report said that average poverty levels dropped by 9 percentage points from 58.8 per cent in 1991-92 to 49.8 per cent in 2000 - helped by a sustained annual growth rate of over 5 per cent.


Bangladesh's government said that it needs more foreign aid to reduce illiteracy and child and maternal mortality rates, which are among of the world's highest.

Bureau Report