ZCZC
BSS-39
MANNAN-DISCUSSION
Public funds to be spent targeting specific goals: Mannan
DHAKA, Nov 26, 2020 (BSS) – Planning Minister MA Mannan today said the public funds would be spent more judiciously from now on targeting the specific goals and also prioritizing the country’s low-income people.
“We will continue to monitor where the public fund is going. We will see how the taxpayers’ money is being spent for ensuring the quality development of the country,” he said at a virtual discussion on “Fair budget allocation for water, sanitation and hygiene.”
Ahead of the Asia-Pacific Finance Ministers’ Conference on December 2, the Development Journalists Forum of Bangladesh (DJFB) and the local development organization DORP jointly organized the discussion.
Member (Senior Secretary) of the General Economics Division (GED) Dr Shamsul Alam presented a keynote paper on the occasion.
Mannan said the government does not have lack of fund, but it would spend targeting the goals from now on.
Out of the target, he said water, sanitation and hygiene would be the priority spending areas in the coming national budgets.
“We have a target to become a developed nation. So, quality power and water supply will be the key introduction of a developed nation. We have already marched ahead a lot. But, it is not enough. We have to go ahead further,” Mannan said.
He continued on saying, “You know that our Prime Minister had a vision to make available all urban facilities into the villages. We are working on it. For this reason, water supply, sanitation and hygiene are very imperative for fulfilling her vision.”
The Planning Minister said although the government could not raise the budgetary allocations within a year for its fund constraints, but the WASH sector will get highest priority in the budget allocations from the coming year.
GED Member Dr Shamsul Alam in his presentation said the government was giving WASH the highest priority in the upcoming 8th Five-year Plan.
“We will ensure safe drinking water, create more water-bodies, supply quality water, excavate more ponds, supply piped-water to the rural areas, and ensure improved latrine in the next development plan,” he said.
The government in the Delta Plan 2100 has already taken a target to excavate more than 4,000 ponds across the country.
“Dredging the rivers facilitate the water flow to the sea only. But, if we do not dig the water bodies, we cannot get the water supply after the rainy season for our agricultural uses and other purposes,” Dr Alam said.
The GED member also suggested appropriate pricing policies of water and establishing a Water and Sanitation Regulatory Authority for the best use of water.
Joint secretary of the Local Government Division Imdadul Haque Chowdhury said the government was reviewing the existing Sanitation Strategy 2014 for facilitating a quality WASH services in Bangladesh.
The Strategy could be updated by March next year which would help the country a lot for ensuring quality sanitation and hygiene, he added.
Imdadul also informed that the government was also working to ensure the hygienic and healthy menstrual period of the women.
South Asia Representative of SWA and Research Director of DORP Jubair Hassan said the WASH is highlighted under the SDG-6 of the United Nations.
“So, the government should enhance its budget allocation to ensure safe water supply, sanitation and hygiene across the country,” he added.
DJFB President FHM Humayan Kabir, WASH Specialist at UNICEF Mohammad Monirul Alam, Grounds Manager of the Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids Abdus Salam Mian, Deputy Director of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Alamgir Hossain and Representative for the Water Aid Bangladesh Ranjan Ghosh also spoke on the occasion.
BSS/ASG/GM/KU/1945 HRS