The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) implementation process is suffering from financing problems coupled with lack of proper information from the related sectors. Timely implementation of the SDGs within 2030 will need $ 92,800 crore, said Planning Minister MA Mannan on Saturday. "The government is working on development, modernization and poverty eradication. There is the role of poverty behind many of the lackings including shortage of academic institutions, proper sanitation facilities etc.
Many are talking about disparity, we also admit it, so poverty must be eradicated first of all, and then reducing disparity," the Minister added. Mannan made the remarks while addressing as chief guest the opening session of a day-long citizen convention jointly organised by Citizen Platform for SDG Implementation' and Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), marking the fourth anniversary of SDG implementation, at Bangabandhu International Convention Center (BICC), at Agargaon in the city.
A report, released at the convention on latest developments in the SDG implementation process, said that the progress of Bangladesh in most goals and indexes is frustrating. "Among a total of 17 goals of SDG, 68 targets and 95 indexes have been determined to attain the 6 vital goals, but Bangladesh fails to progress expectedly in many goals and indexes. Specific information was available on improvement of 38 goals and 50 indexes of 6 main goals related to education, decent work, inequality, climate change, peace, justice and development partnership," the report mentioned.
The report further said, only 6 indexes out of 50 of main 6 goals are found on right track which will be met by 2030. Position of 18 indexes are not good enough, so, special importance is needed to be paid. The condition of the remaining 26 indexes is not good at all, and not possible to be met in the stipulated time frame.
Convener of the Citizen Platform and Honorable Fellow of CPD, Dr. Debapriya Bhattachariya presided over the convention while Permanent Representative of the UN, Mia Seppo and Executive Director of CPD, Dr. Fahmida Khatun were present. Dr. Fahmida Khatun presented the SDG Progress report through power point presentation.
While addressing, Mia Seppo suggested to remove deficit of information and to lay due importance on localization to reach the facilities of development among people in the remote parts of the country. He further suggested effective moves to involve more civil society members in the process of SDG implementation.
Dr. Fahmida in her report said, per capita national income in 2007 was 2.96 percent which stood at 5.55 percent in 2017, during this period GDP growth increased 7.86 percent from 4.43 percent. But comparing with growth, disparity has also increased. She said, even a single goal out of a total 8 regarding climate change goals in the SDG, is not on the right track, while 7 indexes of total 10 in attaining peace and justice related goals are in a very bad situation, only 3 indexes may be better in this regard.
