The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) will implement a Market Infrastructure Development (MID) project at an estimated cost of Tk 2.60 billion (260 crore) in the southern coastal areas in the country including Barisal, Patuakhali, Bhola, Lakkhipur and Noakhali, reports BSS. LGED sources said the project will be implemented with the financial assistance of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialised agency of the United Nations for ensuring sustainable infrastructure development as well as market access especially to the poor entrepreneurs. "The goal of the project to create employment and economic opportunities for poor people in disadvantaged areas by increasing commercial and trading activities around markets in estuarine and coastal chars" the sources said. Through the market infrastructure development component, the project will support the development of physical infrastructure market facilities, farm-to-market roads, and build up a capacity for market management. The project will also provide support for farmers and access to credit to the farmers and linking to markets, including the establishment of enterprise development groups of market entrepreneurs. Through its support for primary producers component, MID project will seek to promote the market-oriented production of crops, livestock, fish and non-farm products and provide credit and technical and social training to primary producer groups.
|