The proposed budget has given the highest priority to save people’s lives during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic now prevailing across the country, the finance minister said.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said, “People have been given priority in this year's budget, not economic development. If there are no people, the budget is for whom.”
We need to save the people of the country from the global pandemic, he said adding that, “This year's budget is a humanitarian budget.”
AHM Mustafa Kamal made the statements while making concluding remarks on the supplementary budget for the current (2019-20) fiscal year in Parliament on Monday.
The Finance Minister sought everyone's cooperation in implementing the budget considering the coronavirus situation.On Monday, parliament has passed the supplementary budget of Tk 46,516.11 crore for the fiscal 2019-20 to meet the increased expenditures under different ministries and divisions.
Earlier on June 11, Finance Minister has placed the supplementary budget in the Parliament along with the national budget.
The finance minister said during concluding speech of the supplementary budget on Monday, we all know the reason for the addition-subtraction or adjustment of the budget this year.
Amid the global epidemic due to Covid-19, we have considered adjusting some of the revenue and expenditure in the supplementary budget, he informed.
We have also reduced the GDP growth target from 8.2 percent to 5.2 percent, Kamal said hoping that, “If we can achieve this set target, it will be the highest in South Asia.”
He said an additional Tk 3,605 crore has been allocated to the healthcare sector, health medical department, disaster management department and defense ministry for co-ordinating the supplementary budget.
Mentioning that there is no system to withdraw money from the state treasury if the budget is not given, the finance minister said, “The people of the country are getting authority in all matters in our budget this year (upcoming 2020-21 fiscal year).”
We have to save the people of the country, he said adding that, we will try to protect people from this coronavirus infection as much as possible with the infinite mercy of Allah.
He said we always put emphasis on the components of economic development in our budget but this time we did not do it.
It is not just the economic budget, he said adding that, it is an economic budget as well as a humanitarian budget.
He said we usually earn revenue and spend it.
This time we will firstly spend revenue then earn revenue, he mentioned.
He makes some questions including how do people survive if we don't spend now And if the country cannot save people, for whom is the country's budget
“So keeping this in mind, I would urge everyone to manage this budget on the basis of consensus,” the Finance Minister said.
On Monday, the finance minister moved it the House following general discussion on the supplementary budget, UNB adds.
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 MPs Kazi Firoz Rashid, Mujibul Huq, Pir Fazlur Rahman, Fakhrul Imam, Rowshan Ara Mannan, Shamim Haider Patwary, Liaquat Hossain Khoka, BNP MP Md Harunur Rashid, Rumin Farhana, and Gonoforum MP Mukabbir Khan.
However, those cut-motions were rejected by voice votes.
According to the budget document, an amount of Tk 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 Tk 46516.11 crore while Tk 18353.97 crore reduced for 35 ministries and divisions.
As a result, the budget allocations for these ministries and divisions got reduced of Tk 21,613 crore and the total allocation now stands at Tk 501,577 crore.
The Finance Division got the highest allocation of Tk 36,356.45 crore while the CHT Affair Ministry the lowest Tk 1.54 crore .
The Prime Minister’s Office got Tk 214.73 crore while Cabinet Division Tk 59.88 crore, Supreme Court Tk 3.39 crore, Election Commission Secretariat Tk 298.58 crore, Public Service Commission Tk 18.30 crore, Economic Relations Division Tk 65.10 crore, Planning Division Tk 379.55 crore, IMED Tk 53.34 crore, Statistics and information Management Division Tk 290.60 crore, Defence Ministry Tk 454.90 crore, Armed Forces Division Tk 92.58 crore, Public Security Division Tk 294.12 crore, Social Welfare Ministry Tk 12.79 crore, Women and Children Affairs Ministry Tk 39.98 crore, Labour and Employment Ministry Tk 53.96 crore, Housing and Public Works Ministry Tk 842.99 crore, Religious Affairs Ministry Tk 527.42 crore, Local Government Division Tk 2,808.31 crore, Industries Ministry Tk 450.19 crore, Textile and Jute Ministry Tk 559.48 crore, Energy and Mineral Resources Division Tk 494.57 crore, Water Resources Ministry Tk 837.14 crore, Disaster Management and Relief Ministry Tk 1232.53 crore and Shipping Ministry Tk 73.27 crore.
