Lawmakers today said the proposed budget is time befitting and help to build a smart Bangladesh by ensuring the welfare of the people.
Taking part in the general discussion on the national budget for 2023-24 fiscal at the Jatiya Sangsad here, the lawmakers said no other governments except the ruling Awami League thought the welfare of the common people.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on June 1 unveiled a Taka 7,61,785 crore national budget for 2023-24 fiscal setting the GDP growth target at 7.5 percent amid an economic meltdown across the country due to ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.
“The budget titled “Towards Smart Bangladesh Sustaining the Development Achievements in Decade and a Half” would help to build a smart Bangladesh while ongoing Ukraine-Russia war, fuel, gas, fertilizer price upward at the world market along with changing currency exchange rate in the post-Covid world also have created an emerging challenge for the economy”, said Kazi Munirul Islam MP of Dhaka-5.
To facing these challenges, the lawmaker said the government has given top priority to social security, communication infrastructure constructions, education, health, science, agriculture and human resources allocations in the proposed budget.
Even, the proposed budget has also introduced ‘pension’ aiming to bring age-old people over 65-year under the scheme that would ensure social security of the people, said Syeda Zakia Noor of Kishorganj-8.
Participating in the discussion, Jatiya Party lawmaker Rustam Ali Farazi of Pirojpur-3 said the national budget has been designed to fulfill the dream of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, adding that the initiatives of the present government already declined poverty rate at 18 percent from the earlier level of 40 percent.
Treasury bench members, Motahar Hossen of Lalmonirhat-1, Ramesh Chandra Sen of Thakurgaon-1, Nazimuddin Ahmed of Mymensingh-3 and Ratna Ahmed of women seat-43, 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.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha