Proposed budget is time-befitting and pragmatic: Lawmakers

588

SANGSAD BHABAN, June 18, 2019 (BSS) – Treasury bench members today
described the proposed national budget for the fiscal 2019-20 as ‘not highly
ambitious’ but as a ‘time-befitting and pragmatic’ one saying it would help
propel the economic growth and ensure the welfare of the people.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on June 13 rolled out a Taka 5,23,190
crore national budget for 2019-20 fiscal setting the GDP growth target at 8.2
percent and delineating a set of programmes to transform the country into a
role model of modern and welfare state by 2041.

Taking part in the general discussion on the fiscal plan in the Jatiya
Sangsad with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair, they said the
present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina could able to stable
the growth rate of the country at more than 6 per cent in the last ten years
and the proposed budget would ensure the welfare of the people by
implementing the estimated growth rate at 8.2 per cent.

Opposing the comment on the proposed budget as a highly ambitious, treasury
bench lawmaker Professor Ali Ashraf, who initiated the general discussion,
said “I disagree with the comments made by certain quarters on the proposed
budget after it was placed in the parliament as all the previous budgets were
placed aiming to the welfare of the people.”

Considering the socio-economic situation of the country, Ashraf said, more
than 4 crore people have already entered into the medium income threshold, so
there is enormous scope to increase the size of the budget by widening the
purview of tax.

Terming the proposed budget as the elevator of further development, Ashraf
said, “There is no specific criticism on budget, civil societies could not
make any particular setback of the budget.”

Taking part in the general discussion, another treasury bench lawmaker
Abdul Mannan of Bogura-1 told the Jatiya Sangsad that the proposed budget is
unique one compared to the budgets in the past as the proposed budget has
allocated Taka 100 crore startup fund for the new entrepreneurs and also
another Taka 100 crore for the people of river erosion areas across the
country.

The lawmakers prayed to the Almighty Allah for the long life of Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina, so that she can materialize the dream of the Father
of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman through her outstanding
performance.

Treasury bench member Pankaj Devnath of Barishal-4, Saifuzzaman of Magura-
1,Md Habibe Millat of Sirajgonj-2, Khaleda Khanam, Kanij Fatema Ahmed, Aroma
Dutta, Sayeda Rubina Akhter, Sheikh Anne Rahman, Workers Party lawmaker
Lutfun Nesa Khan and BNP lawmaker Mosharraf Hossen of Bogura-4, took part in
the discussion.

Earlier, they paid their cordial tribute to the memory of Father of the
Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, four national leaders, martyred
freedom fighters and also those who made their utmost sacrifices during the
War of Liberation and all subsequent democratic movements in the country.