DHAKA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A World Bank study has found that in just one year, Bangladesh's state-owned enterprises (SOEs) cost the government nearly 882 billion taka (about 7.23 billion U.S. dollars), making them one of the country's biggest financial risks.
The findings were shared during a workshop in Dhaka on Thursday focused on disseminating the report "Financial Performance and Fiscal Risk of SOEs in Bangladesh."
The study report pointed out that the worsening financial state of public enterprises has reached an "unsustainable" level, particularly as Bangladesh already struggles with declining revenue collection, sluggish economic growth, and increasing strain on public finances.
It noted that the mounting losses of SOEs are draining resources that could have been directed toward healthcare, education, and social protection.
The study was conducted in collaboration with Bangladesh's Policy Research Institute, a leading local think-tank. ■