Govt, private sector must work together on SDGs: Khosru

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury called for a coordinated effort across government, the private sector, civil society, and international development partners to accelerate Bangladesh’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Speaking Wednesday at the closing ceremony of a three-day national SDG summit in Dhaka, the minister emphasised that achieving sustainable and inclusive growth requires shared responsibility across all levels of society.
The minister stressed that the family must serve as the core building block of national progress. 
Enhancing family-level access to quality education, healthcare, steady employment, social protection, and improved living standards, he noted, provides the most direct and durable engine for overall economic development.
Amir Khosru said Bangladesh had made significant progress towards achieving the SDGs, but development plans and implementation strategies would need to be reformed in line with changing global and domestic circumstances.
“Setting targets alone will not be enough. We must ensure accurate data, effective planning, adequate financing and strict monitoring of implementation to achieve the targets,” he said.
The finance minister said achieving the SDGs was not the sole responsibility of the government. 
Government agencies, local government bodies, private businesses, NGOs, educational institutions, the media, development partners and civil society must all play their respective roles in achieving the country’s broader development goals.
He also stressed that the needs of ordinary people and improvements in their quality of life should receive the highest priority at every stage of SDG implementation.
The minister thanked representatives of ministries and divisions, public and private organisations, development partners, experts, researchers, civil society and the media for participating in the three-day event.
He said the discussions, recommendations and exchange of experiences during the event would play an important role in preparing future action plans for SDG implementation and determining Bangladesh’s development priorities.
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Public Administration Ismail Zabihullah, State Minister for Planning Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, General Economics Division Member Secretary Dr Monzur Hossain and Prime Minister’s SDG Chief Coordinator Prof Dr SM Abdul-Awal attended the programme.