Kamal terms proposed budget pro-people

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DHAKA, June 24, 2018 (BSS)- Terming the proposed budget for fiscal year
2018-19 (FY19) as pro-people, planning minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said the
government has made such a growth and employment oriented budget to maintain
the present trend of development.

“This budget will ensure growth and employment . . . help eliminate
poverty.” said Kamal while speaking at a dialogue on the proposed budget at a
city hotel here today.

Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a civil society think-tank, organised the
dialogue with its chairman Prof Rehman Sobhan in the chair. State minister
for finance and planning AM Mannan, BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury,
MCCI president Nihad Kabir, CPD’s distinguished fellow Dr Mustafizur Rahman
and CPD’s executive director Dr Fahmida Khan, among others, spoke at the
dialogue.

Kamal said the proposed budget has a long-term vision and the main target
of the budget is to turn the country into a middle-income country by 2021,
attain SDGs by 2030 and take the country to the level of a development one by
2040.

To achieve these targets, the government has sped up implementation mega
projects like Padma Bridge, Matarbari and Rampal power plants, planned to set
up 100 economic zones and taken various steps for ICT development, he added.

He said the government has proposed to slash corporate tax for banks and
financial institutions to boost investment and industrialisation.

About irregularities in banking sector, Kamal said none will be spared as
the government has already taken actions against the officials responsible
for the irregularities in different banks, including the Farmers Bank. “The
government has a plan to form a commission to honor the good bankers and
punish bad ones,” he added.

MA Mannan said poverty alleviation gets priority in the proposed budget.