Developed countries using vaccines as political tool: Mannan

Developed countries are using Covid-19 vaccines as a political tool, Planning Minister MA Mannan said at a webinar today.

Some advanced countries stocked up vaccines more than they would require, which is not acceptable, the minister said at a webinar on "Covid-19 impact on the SMEs and SMPs: The Bangladesh Perspective".

The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) organised the programme.

Mannan said Covid-19 has been a very painful experience for the people working in the informal sectors and a large number of small wage earners lost their jobs immediately after the pandemic broke out.

The government has taken many initiatives including announcing stimulus packages, he added.

ICMAB President Abu Bakar Siddique said SMEs are the bloodline of Bangladesh's economy, creating employment for 7.8 million people directly.

SMEs need to be uplifted so that the sector can generate quality employment, said Siddique.