Staff Correspondent
The Palli Karma-Shayak Foundation (PKSF) is going to implement a new challenging project -- Pathways to Prosperity for Extremely Poor People (PPEPP) – targeting some of the extreme poor of the country.
The project was formally launched at a programme at the PKSF Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon on Tuesday.
Initially, the project will be implemented over a period of six years (2019-2025) with funding from the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the European Union (EU).
Md Ashadul Islam, senior secretary of the Financial Institutions Division under the finance ministry, was the chief guest at the launching programme, with PKSF Managing Director Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah in the chair. Judith Herbertson, head of DFID Bangladesh, and Maurizio Cian, EU Bangladesh Head of Cooperation, were special guests.
In his speech, the senior secretary said the government was determined to bring extreme poverty down to 8.9 percent by 2020. He also identified the Rohingya refugee crisis and climate change impacts as two serious burdens on the economy of Bangladesh.
He expressed his hope that the PPEPP project will play an important role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal-1, that is eliminating poverty by 2030.
Judith Herbertson said economic growth does not always reflect the real picture of development. Inequality, malnutrition, and climate change impacts are some of the acute problems facing Bangladesh today. The UK will continue to support Bangladesh in these areas.
Maurizio Cian of the DIFD said discrimination was one of the biggest challenges facing the economic development.
PKSF Managing Director Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah said the PKSF had so far supported at least six crore people of the country directly or indirectly.
Earlier, PKSF Deputy Managing Director AQM Golam Mawla gave a presentation on the project. The official website of the project, www.pksf.ppepp.org, was also launched. The project will be implemented through 20 partner organisations for the sustainable development of 10 lakh people in 150 unions under 13 districts at an estimated cost of Tk 673 crore.
