Only 8 percent of the country's employed workforce has so far benefitted from the stimulus packages linked to the coronavirus pandemic, said the Centre for Policy Dialogue today, as it called for widening the support schemes.

"The government should expand the volume of the stimulus packages to generate more jobs to help the country deal with economic hardship," it said.

Also, the packages should be designed in a way so that they can support the vulnerable people, it said.

The think-tank came up with the recommendations at a webinar titled "Employment Implications of Stimulus Packages: Challenges for Recovery". It organised the event in collaboration with Oxfam International.

Both the government and the central bank have so far unveiled 19 stimulus packages worth Tk 113,117 crore, which is 3.74 percent of the country's gross domestic product.

There are about 6 crore people in Bangladesh who are engaged in the formal and informal sectors.

Towfiqul Islam Khan, senior research fellow of the CPD, presented the study.

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