BSS, Sangsad Bhaban :
Extending their sincere appreciation to finance minister AMA Muhith for placing a pro-poor, business friendly and time-befitting budget in the Jatiya Sangsad, treasury bench members Monday said the proposed budget for fiscal year 2014-15 (FY15) would take the country a step ahead for building a poverty, exploitation and militancy free country.
Taking part in the general discussion on the national budget for FY15, the ruling party lawmakers said the finance minister has demonstrated awesome courage in formulating such a fiscal document that would help reduce disparities, ensure balance in distribution of wealth, cut poverty and boost economic growth.
At the outset of the speech, the lawmakers of the grand alliance congratulated Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the occasion of the 65th founding anniversary of Awami League which was established on June 23 in 1949. They paid tributes to the memory of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who led the War of Liberation in 1971 up to achieving the ultimate victory on December 16 in the same year.
Treasury bench members Aftabuddin Sarker, Abul Kalam Md Ahsanul Haq Chowdhury, Roksana Yesmin Chhuti, Tipu Munshi, Mrs Lutfunnesa, Jahanara Begum Surma, Yunus Ali Sarkar, Begum Kamrun Nahar Chowdhury, Rahimullah, Dr Sirajul Akbar, Jatiya Party MPs Fakhrul Imam, Shirin Akter of JSD (Inu) and MA Awal of Tarikat Federation.
The ruling party MPs said the new fiscal plan with a far reaching vision would greatly help Bangladesh achieve its target of becoming a middle-income country by 2021 through accelerating economic growth and cutting poverty rate to a large extent.
One of the major objectives of the budget is to achieve higher economic growth with an aim to reduce poverty significantly, they said, adding that tremendous successes were achieved in socio-economic development over the last five years that had brought down poverty rate to 31.5 percent from 40 percent.
Thanking the government for keeping adequate allocation from own sources in the budget for the construction of Padma Bridge, the lawmakers demanded naming this mega project after the name of Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib, wife of Bangladesh’s founding President Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
In the proposed budget, the government has set a target of achieving 7.3 percent growth and allocated Tk 803.15 billion for Annual Development Programme (ADP) which are realistic, they said.
JSD (Inu) MP Shirin Akter in her speech said the proposed budget for FY15 will help the government build the country on the basis of the spirit of the liberation war. She said the present government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working relentlessly to implement the Vision 2021 and JSD (Inu) will continue to work together with the government for implementation of this vision .
Shirin Akter proposed to form ‘Agriculture Commission’ to ensure fair prices of agricultural products and said all farm inputs will have to be reached to farmers directly through agricultural cards.
Terming the proposed budget as a pro-people, ruling party MP Tipu Munshi said people’s income has increased by 40 percent over the last few years because the government has implemented a number of development programmes for the welfare of the people.
He demanded of the government to bring the northern Bengal under gas supply network for the development of this neglected region of the country.
