Working to develop a service-oriented administration: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the aim of her government is to develop a fully service-oriented administration to ensure the welfare of people.

"Our aim is to build an administration that will serve people and ensure its accountability to people," she said at a function marking the signing of the Annual Performance Agreement (APA) of ministries and their subordinate bodies.

The programme was arranged at Osmani Memorial Auditorium. The prime minister joined the event from her official residence Gono Bhaban.

Mentioning that remaining in power does not mean enjoying government facilities, Hasina said, "We have our responsibilities to the people. Our responsibilities are to ensure their welfare and their interests, and to change their fate."

At this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, she said the government aims to make sure that people don't face any difficulty. The government has fulfilled their demand for food and is providing medical facilities and assisting them economically to deal with the curse of pandemic, she said.

She mentioned that the government, from the beginning of the pandemic, initiated stimulus packages, announced 28 packages worth Tk 131,641 crore and implemented those.

The PM thanked all for their sincere efforts which resulted in keeping the national economy moving since March 2020.

As coronavirus is a global problem, Bangladesh alone can't do anything, she said, adding: "We're trying to contain the transmission of the virus, and protect the lives and livelihoods of people."

The prime minister thanked the administration, law enforcement agencies and armed forces for their courageous role.

Regarding vaccination, she said her government has been working tirelessly to ensure that the shots are free for all. "We've taken the move so that all could get vaccines gradually. We've started providing vaccines; they're coming. We'll procure all vaccines that will be needed for the people of the country. We want no one to be left out."

State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam, Finance Division's Senior Secretary Abdur Rouf Talukder and ICT Division Secretary NM Zeaul Alam also spoke at the programme.

The senior secretaries and secretaries in charge of various ministries and divisions handed over a copy of their respective Annual Performance Agreement to the prime minister.

The cabinet secretary, on behalf of the prime minister, signed the APA.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq received the APA on behalf of the prime minister.

WHAT IS APA?

Under the agreement, the ministries will set their visions, missions and strategic goals in line with the development priorities of the government, take short- and long-term plans as per budgetary allocations.

The government introduced the method of the APA in the 2014-2015 fiscal year for the public sector to ensure institutional transparency, accountability, proper utilisation of resources and, above all, enhancing the institutional efficiencies.

The main purposes of introducing APA are moving the focus of the ministry from process-orientation to result-orientation, and providing an objective and fair basis to evaluate the overall performance of the ministries and divisions at the end of the year.