US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller on Thursday said that his country would stand beside Bangladesh with support to face the crisis owing to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The US Ambassador also assured of providing assistance to Bangladesh in the health and agriculture sectors.
The assurance came as Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal talked with the US Ambassador over phone on Thursday on the latest Coronavirus situation and about the possible support in this regard, said an official press release.
Miller also apprised Kamal about the new schemes of the Export-Import Bank of the United States from where Bangladesh can avail direct loan or loan guaranty, supply chain financing guaranty, working capital guaranty and pre delivery or pre export financing facility.
Extending thanks to the US government for its continued support to Bangladesh in various sectors, the Finance Minister said the US has so far provided $4.6 billion to Bangladesh as project assistance, food assistance and commodity assistance.
He also thanked the US for providing $3.4 million to Bangladesh as emergency assistance for facing the Novel Coronavirus.
Kamal said the economic activities of Bangladesh have almost come to a standstill due to the countrywide general holidays owing to Coronavirus.
To offset the shock from COVID-19, he mentioned that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already announced stimulus packages worth $11.6 billion which is 3.5 percent of the GDP to be utilized in expanding public expenditure, widening the social safety nets, and also to increase the supply of money.
The Finance Minister said, “Provision has also been incorporated in the stimulus packages to provide working capital to the affected industries, services sector and small and cottage industries through the banking sector.”
