BSS, Dhaka :
Lawmakers participating in the general discussion in the house on Thursday said the proposed budget for fiscal 2017-2018 is the weapon for continuous economic development to build a prosperous country dreamt by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
They said the proposed budget has a reflection of development and would pave a way for building a middle-income country by 2021 and a developed country by 2041.
Taking part in the general discussions for the 11th day on the proposed budget, Industries Minister Amir Hossen Amu said “Country’s GDP growth rate is gradually increasing and the proposed budget has set a target to achieve GDP rate by 7.4 per cent during the next fiscal.”
The proposed budget has been placed for realizing the vision 2021 and building a developed country by 2041 announced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said, adding Bangladesh already has stepped into the level of lower middle income country according to the evaluation of the World Bank.
Referring to the proposed imposition of VAT, Amu told the parliament although the vat law has been passed in the parliament in 2012 but nobody had protested it during that time. Even though the proposed budget has significantly increased the number of beneficiaries under the social safety net, the opposition lawmakers did not discuss it, lamented the minister.
Terming the ongoing budget discussion as lively, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim said the discussion on proposed budget is absolutely diversified and lively and it has spontaneously reported widely in different daily newspapers and television channels across the country.
Nasim stressed on maintaining continuity of the present government under the bold leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for sustaining ongoing development of the country as well as upholding the constitution.
Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu urged the government to exempt the excise duty on the deposit up to Taka 5 lakh as it will affect the middle income people.
Criticizing the existing VAT law, Inu said VAT system is not suitable for ensuring equity as VAT is imposed equally for the poor and rich but it makes the poor the worst victims while the rich pays the least.
Inu suggested the government to introduce corporate tax and progressive income tax policy as heavy dependence on the VAT for revenue mobilization is a serious weakness of the economy.
Textile and Jute Minister Imaz Uddin Pramanik commended the uplift programmes listed in the proposed budget and hoped that some of most criticized tax, duty and VAT measures would be withdrawn when the Jatiya Sangsad would pass the budget.
Treasury bench lawmakers Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Abdul Matin Khasru,
Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Morshed Alam, Jahid Ahsan Russel, Mohammad Rahim
Ullah, Begum Akhter Jahan, Abu Reza Mohammad Nizamuddin, Ayesha Ferdous, Begum
Shamsunnahar,Workers Party lawmaker Begum Hazera Khatun, Jatiya Party lawmakers Nurul Islam Omor also took part in the general discussions on the national budget.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith on June 1 placed a Taka 400266 crore national budget for fiscal 2017-18 setting the GDP growth target at 7.4 percent and detailing a set of programmes to transform the country into a role model of modern and welfare state by 2041.
Earlier, the sitting of the house resumed on Thursday at 10.55am with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair. The session adjourned with Deputy Speaker Fazley Rabbi in the chair at 3.30pm and to resume at 4pm on June 28.
Lawmakers participating in the general discussion in the house on Thursday said the proposed budget for fiscal 2017-2018 is the weapon for continuous economic development to build a prosperous country dreamt by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
They said the proposed budget has a reflection of development and would pave a way for building a middle-income country by 2021 and a developed country by 2041.
Taking part in the general discussions for the 11th day on the proposed budget, Industries Minister Amir Hossen Amu said “Country’s GDP growth rate is gradually increasing and the proposed budget has set a target to achieve GDP rate by 7.4 per cent during the next fiscal.”
The proposed budget has been placed for realizing the vision 2021 and building a developed country by 2041 announced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said, adding Bangladesh already has stepped into the level of lower middle income country according to the evaluation of the World Bank.
Referring to the proposed imposition of VAT, Amu told the parliament although the vat law has been passed in the parliament in 2012 but nobody had protested it during that time. Even though the proposed budget has significantly increased the number of beneficiaries under the social safety net, the opposition lawmakers did not discuss it, lamented the minister.
Terming the ongoing budget discussion as lively, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim said the discussion on proposed budget is absolutely diversified and lively and it has spontaneously reported widely in different daily newspapers and television channels across the country.
Nasim stressed on maintaining continuity of the present government under the bold leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for sustaining ongoing development of the country as well as upholding the constitution.
Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu urged the government to exempt the excise duty on the deposit up to Taka 5 lakh as it will affect the middle income people.
Criticizing the existing VAT law, Inu said VAT system is not suitable for ensuring equity as VAT is imposed equally for the poor and rich but it makes the poor the worst victims while the rich pays the least.
Inu suggested the government to introduce corporate tax and progressive income tax policy as heavy dependence on the VAT for revenue mobilization is a serious weakness of the economy.
Textile and Jute Minister Imaz Uddin Pramanik commended the uplift programmes listed in the proposed budget and hoped that some of most criticized tax, duty and VAT measures would be withdrawn when the Jatiya Sangsad would pass the budget.
Treasury bench lawmakers Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Abdul Matin Khasru,
Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Morshed Alam, Jahid Ahsan Russel, Mohammad Rahim
Ullah, Begum Akhter Jahan, Abu Reza Mohammad Nizamuddin, Ayesha Ferdous, Begum
Shamsunnahar,Workers Party lawmaker Begum Hazera Khatun, Jatiya Party lawmakers Nurul Islam Omor also took part in the general discussions on the national budget.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith on June 1 placed a Taka 400266 crore national budget for fiscal 2017-18 setting the GDP growth target at 7.4 percent and detailing a set of programmes to transform the country into a role model of modern and welfare state by 2041.
Earlier, the sitting of the house resumed on Thursday at 10.55am with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair. The session adjourned with Deputy Speaker Fazley Rabbi in the chair at 3.30pm and to resume at 4pm on June 28.
