Hon’ble Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed has said that Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) is a model institution of Bangladesh and other institutions in the country should to follow PKSF in terms of practicing honesty and transparency in its operations. He made the remarks while speaking as the Chief Guest at a program to mark the ‘PKSF Day 2024’ at PKSF Bhaban on 13 November 2024.

Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, who served as the Managing Director of PKSF for almost nine years, said, “PKSF is a world-class institution. It has the capability, experience and reputation to implement programs and projects at the lowest cost.” He requested the Microcredit Regulatory Authority (MRA) to be more friendly towards PKSF’s Partner Organizations (NGOs).

Regarding the reform initiatives of the interim government, Dr Salehuddin Ahmed said, “The current government will work on short-term reforms. And long-term reforms will be carried by the next elected government … We will leave a foot print to be followed by the next elected government to steer the ongoing reform processes forward”.

Mentioning that the current government has the support from all over the world, he called upon everyone to cooperate in lowering commodity prices.

Speaking as the Special Guest, PKSF’s founding Managing Director Badiur Rahman said, “PKSF has the solid foundation required for the stability of an organization. Now is the time to increase the use of science and information technologies in its interventions.”

PKSF Chairman Zakir Ahmed Khan thanked all stakeholders and development partners of PKSF, government officials, Partner Organizations (POs), MRA and grassroots members. He also pledged to make PKSF’s POs stronger and more effective.

In the welcome speech, Acting Managing Director of PKSF Md Fazlul Kader recalled PKSF’s founding history, and said, under the leadership of Dr Muhammad Yunus, PKSF was established on the basis of completely home-grown ideas and concepts. Its strategy was financing for self-employment generations. Various types of technical assistance were added on the list of PKSF’s interventions in 2003 in order to combat poverty more effectively.

Established by the Government of Bangladesh in 1990 to eradicate poverty through job creation, PKSF is currently providing a vast range of financial and non-financial services to nearly 20 million poor and disadvantaged families through more than 200 POs across the country. PKSF was founded on 13 November 1989 upon the approval of the President of Bangladesh. Accordingly, November 13 is celebrated as the PKSF Day. This year’s slogan was ‘Financing for inclusive growth’.

[For Bangla: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DV5FZh9pk/]