Last week, Stoltenberg stated that he anticipated additional NATO members to declare plans for new air defenses for Kiev “soon”.
Sunak is scheduled to declare the UK’s “largest-ever single package of equipment” for the military effort in Ukraine during his visit.
In addition to more Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles, it will include over 1,600 strike and air defense missiles.
Additionally, he will commit to providing around 400 vehicles including armored ones and close to four million rounds of small-arms ammunition.
The digitalization of banking facilities and the adoption of mobile financial services have brought Bangladesh’s economy to a turning point in the realm of digital finance.
The expansion of digital payments, especially among small enterprises, is a crucial next step in the transition to a cashless economy.
The project is to assist Bangladesh Bank in releasing new policies to promote the adoption of digital payments, carry out outreach initiatives across the nation, and raise the adoption rate of digital payments by 25% by 2027.
Martin Holtmann, Country Manager for Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan at IFC said, “Access to innovative, efficient, affordable, and sustainable financial products is crucial for inclusive growth. This project will successfully harness the power of digitalization to overcome barriers and unlock the full potential of the payment industry creating a foundation for deepening digital financial products beyond payments such as saving, lending, investment and beyond.”
“We’re committed to fostering financial inclusion and catalyzing the transition towards a digitally enabled economy in Bangladesh,” Holtmann added.
Md Mezbaul Haque, executive director and spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank said, “In order to align our national vision Cashless Bangladesh, we want to create an ecosystem where every need for a payment can be done digitally without touching cash.”
“To achieve this goal, we must facilitate digital payments, especially Bangla QR and Taka pay at the doorsteps of every citizen. Bangladesh Bank has a long history of working with IFC, and this project is a continuation of our cooperation,” he added.
Deputy High Commissioner of the Australian High Commission, Dhaka Clinton Pobke said, “The IFC-Bangladesh Cashless Digital Bangladesh project is an important step in Bangladesh Bank’s ambitious agenda to roll out faster, more convenient and secure digital payment technologies. Understanding the prevailing market conditions that hinders the development and adoption of E-payment products presents a huge challenge for regulators seeking to foster innovation, as we know full well from Australia’s own experience with digital transformation.”
Pobke also said that Australia is very proud to support the Bangladesh Bank and IFC in this journey through our Bangladesh Economic Engagement Program (BEEP) Fund. “We eagerly look forward to seeing the positive impacts this work will yield for the Bangladesh economy and small businesses, in particular.”
