Bangladesh should move forward by taking massive initiatives under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to overcome the impact of Covid-19 pandemic and accelerate the country’s economy, observed experts, reports BSS.
They mentioned that by understating the dire need, developed nations already focused on public-private partnership to overcome the Covid-19 impact.
“We have accelerated our activities to implement projects under PPP model so that Bangladesh can overcome the Covid-19 impact within a short time. We are providing special focus on health sector for ensuring testing facilities and treatment for the Covid-19 patients,” said Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the PPP Authority Sultana Afroz.
She informed that PPP authority is now working with 76 projects of the different sector, including health, transport, IT, civil accommodation, shipping, social infrastructure, industry, urban, economic zone and education.
“Now, we are working with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to unlock greater private sector investments and efficiencies to complement ongoing government initiatives to improve the quality and affordability of health care,” she added.
Talking to BSS, a Bangladesh born PPP Advisor of the Central Partnership Authority (CPA) under Government of Afghanistan Mohammad Abu Rashed said this period of coronavirus is complex because of the social, economic, financial, psychological and political tumult that it has created.
He said this is a long-term battle for the human being to overcome the impact of coronavirus pandemic and the sector of PPP can play a key role to overcome the impact.
“Government must increase the involvement of private sector in developing, financing and providing health infrastructure and services to meet the present demand. By understating the dire need of public private participation, developed nations have already focused in this regard,” he added.
Responding to a question on success of PPP method in Bangladesh, Abu Rashed, also Project Editor and WS Leader (Health Policy) United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), said by its very nature a PPP project is very different from a conventional public sector project as it can only be realized through a complex contract.
For making PPP initiatives successful in the country, he said, the government needs to formulate more rational and attractive policy framework, ensure appropriate incentive packages and mechanism for implementation, and build trust and confidence of the investors as regards policy continuity.
Former lead economist of the World Bank’s Dhaka office Dr Zahid Hussain said the spirit of PPP is all about a shift towards leveraging government finances with private sector resources and so, proper infrastructure plan based on sectoral approach is a must for sound completion of PPP projects.
If the government can involve the big investors in health sector infrastructure development, it will improve the country’s health system, he added.
In August 2010, the Government of Bangladesh issued the Policy and Strategy for the PPP to facilitate the development of core sector public infrastructure and services vital for the people of Bangladesh. The PPP program is part of the Government’s Vision 2021 goal to ensure a more rapid, inclusive growth trajectory, and to better meet the need for enhanced, high quality public services in a fiscally sustainable manner.