SANGSAD BHABAN, June 15, 2020 (BSS) – The Jatiya Sangsad today passed the supplementary budget of Taka 46,516.11 crore for the fiscal 2019-20 to meet the increased expenditures under different ministries and divisions of the government.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal placed the supplementary budget in the House on June 11 along with the proposed national budget for FY 2020-21.
Kamal today moved the supplementary budget to the House following general discussions on it.
Different ministries, divisions and institutions sought the additional amount under 24 demands for grant. As many as 167 cut-motions were moved by ten members.
Discussions were held on two cut-motions – on Social Welfare Ministry and Disaster Management and Relief Ministry.
These cut motions were brought by Jatiya Party lawmakers Kazi Firoz Rashid, Mujibul Huq, Pir Fazlur Rahman, Fakhrul Imam, Rowshan Ara Mannan, Shamim Haider Patwary, Liaquat Hossain Khoka, BNP MPs Md Harunur Rashid, Rumin Farhana, and Gonoforum MP Mukabbir Khan.
However, those cut-motions were rejected by voice votes.
Delivering his concluding speech on the supplementary budget in the house today, the finance minister said that the proposed budget for the next fiscal year (FY21) has been framed based on expansionary perspective.
He said that in the wake of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the proposed budget this time put priority on saving people and their livelihood from this deadly virus.
Terming this budget as a budget for all, the finance minister said, “This is not only an economic budget, but also a humanitarian budget. We’ll have to save all,”
Unlike previous years, he said that this time the government would spend first to save people and then think about the revenue collection.
He said the budget for 2020-21 fiscal was prepared putting emphasis on building rural economy as per the announcement of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Kamal said, the government collected revenue first and then spent the money in the previous fiscal years, but this time the money will be spent first and then the revenue will be collected. “How can we save the people if we don’t spend money?” he said.
The finance minister also urged all to come forward to implement the budget on the basis of consensus. “We’ll need all to face this disaster. So, we’ll have to do this work taking all with us,” he said.
About the supplementary budget, he said the government re-fixed the revenue collection, expenditure and deficit targets this year following the economic shock caused by global COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve revised the GDP growth estimate at 5.2 percent down from the target of 8.2 percent (in the outgoing fiscal year). Even if it (5.2 percent) is achieved, it will be the highest growth among the South Asian countries,” he said.
The finance minister said additional Taka 3,605 crore was allocated against the Health Service sector, Disasters Management Ministry, Security Services Division and Defense Ministry to face the coronavirus disaster.
Earlier, five MPs took part in the general discussions on the supplementary budget after sitting of Jatiya Sangsad began at 10:30am with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
According to the budget document, an amount of Taka 523,190 crore was allocated in favour of 62 ministries and divisions for the 2019-20 fiscal.
But, in the supplementary budget, allocations for 26 ministries and divisions have been increased to Taka 46516.11 crore while Taka 18353.97 crore were reduced for 35 ministries and divisions.
As a result, the budget allocations for these ministries and divisions were reduced by Taka 21,613 crore while the total allocation now stood at Taka 501,577 crore.
The Finance Division got the highest allocation of Taka 36,356.45 crore while the lowest Taka 1.54 crore went to the CHT Affairs Ministry.
In the supplementary budget, the Prime Minister’s Office got Taka 214.73 crore while Cabinet Division Taka 59.88 crore, Supreme Court Taka 3.39 crore, Election Commission Secretariat Taka 298.58 crore, Public Service Commission Taka 18.30 crore, Economic Relations Division Taka 65.10 crore, Planning Division Taka 379.55 crore, IMED Taka 53.34 crore, Statistics and information Management Division Taka 290.60 crore, Defence Ministry Taka 454.90 crore, Armed Forces Division Taka 92.58 crore, Public Security Division Taka 294.12 crore, Social Welfare Ministry Taka 12.79 crore, Women and Children Affairs Ministry Taka 39.98 crore, Labour and Employment Ministry Taka 53.96 crore, Housing and Public Works Ministry Taka 842.99 crore, Religious Affairs Ministry Taka 527.42 crore, Local Government Division Taka 2,808.31 crore, Industries Ministry Taka 450.19 crore, Textile and Jute Ministry Taka 559.48 crore, Energy and Mineral Resources Division Taka 494.57 crore, Water Resources Ministry Taka 837.14 crore, Disaster Management and Relief Ministry Taka 1232.53 crore and Shipping Ministry Taka 73.27 crore.