Photo: BIGSTOCKDeveloping the skills of our migrant workers should also be one of our topmost goalsAs the biggest source of foreign currency in Bangladesh in terms of net earnings, there is no way to overstate the importance of a healthy remittance flow. The silver lining to a stronger dollar has been an uptick in remittance inflow by 10% from July to February in the current fiscal compared to the same period last year, but the truth is, the actual number may be even higher because not all remittance gets reflected in the official figure due to some channels being illegal. One good way is to help migrant workers and prospective migrant workers access information that will demystify the process, and make it safe and free of harassment from unscrupulous middlemen -- to that end, the migrant portal is a worthy initiative. There are costs, both monetary and non-monetary, to sending remittance, and it is important that such costs are reduced. Remittance earnings will play a major part in helping us reach our development goals at this point in our country’s journey; the government should do everything possible to boost these numbers.

Source: Dhaka Tribune March 05, 2019 12:56 UTC