Tareen Rahman :
The National Budget for the fiscal 2015-16 will be presented in the National Assembly next month. People of different professions with diverse socio-economic backgrounds have demanded more allocation for safe water, sanitation and hygiene in the remote areas.
The New Nation had a conversation with Development Researcher Md. Zobair Hasan about the topic ‘Ways to resolve the issues of safe water, sanitation and hygiene from the civilians view point and the next budget’. Our correspondent Tareen Rahman took the interview.
New Nation (NN) : How much importance did the government put on the issues of water, sanitation and hygiene in the outgoing budget ?
Md. Zobair Ahmed : The answer cannot be limited within a simple’ Yes’ or ‘No’. If we analyze about the situation on this sector of the past five years, it will be seen that allocation in the budget for these areas were raised every year and many necessary changes were brought in the budget allocation process. Besides, by forming different timely regulations and techniques, the present government has underscored the importance of the water, sanitation and hygiene in the rural areas in particular.
Different private development organizations and bodies have identified this sector as a separate one and explained their reasons for increasing the allocation in budget for this sector.
Although there is a separate sector termed ‘Health and Education’, the multi-various functions of this sector are being realized by the organizations working under local Government Ministry. However, it is not clear till now which division of the Government will deal with the hygiene issue.
The Health Ministry has included the hygiene sector at the upazilah and union level by carrying out different workshops on this topic. The Education Ministry has also indirectly taken this sector under their wing.
Although, every year the money allocated in the budget for this sector is going up, yet that is not enough. Side by side, it is observed that less importance is given in the budget rural areas compared to the urbans.
This can never solve the issue, as 75 pc of our population live in villages. The government should pay a stricter eye on this issue. For proper development of this sector, the government should consider local and individual budget allocation in this sector to be an issue of greater importance.
New Nation : Are the general population reaping the fruits of budget in this sector ?
Md. Zobair Ahmed : Reaping benefits of budget depends on a number of issues. We have investigated the budget assigned for water, sanitation in upazilah and union level. Our findings show that benefits depend on two issues, first, to know how to prepare a budget with an eye over the overall issue and to finalize the proper item and line for budget so that the budget can be submitted in due time. Secondly, to get money as per requirement to realize the budget in allocated time.
If the money allocated in the budget for the month of July does not reach the upazilah and union people, even in December, then although the government raises sufficient fund, the public will not reap benefits of this budget. At the end of the fiscal year, in April and May, a lot of money is allocated which is not properly utilized by the concerned authorities.
We have also seen few instances where due to the initiative of local government organizations, the respective aid organizations have reached public service very quickly and the allocated budget was utilized properly. Keeping transparency and knowing that the government is answerable to the members of the public for two important factors and public involvement is also essential to attain the desired goal set for water, sanitation and hygiene sector. Only then, will the good benefits of the budget become visible.
New Nation : You have recently done a lot of pre-budget discussions at root level on these issues. In these discussions, on which points did the general public put more emphasis ?
Md. Zobair Hasan :In order to find out about public expectations and hope to the government in the next fiscal year, 2015-16, we carried out one-month long pre- budget discussions in 25 unions of the country. Although, we have had discussions about the national budget with people of different professions of people, sufficient discussions were not carried out with the union parishad representing the village people to find out the demands of the poor in our country.
The government has said that budget will be prepared for the 4550 union parishads of the country in April and May so as to ensure that public needs are being fulfilled.
Although a per head slot of Tk271 in water and sanitation sector is already set to achieve the Millenium Development Goal (MDG) of 2015, in root level the demand per head for this slot is only 83 taka. That says that the actual desired demand of the public in this sector is only one-third of the budget allocated for this sector.
So, in order to fulfill public demand, there is no option but to involve the general public. From bottom to top (Bottom up approach) , step by step, the development work has to be realized as planned. Everyone has shown his or her solidarity in the pre-budget discussion we did. Specially, before such discussions, there was no room for women to speak about their needs and demands although it is the female in the villages who play the key role in fulfilling demands for water in their family.
Many have asked that the pre-budget discussions in the union level be continued as it has given them an opportunity to speak out about their needs and demands. All classes of people have emphasized the need to increase the money allocation in the budget for water, sanitation and hygiene sector according to fulfill their area demands. Side by side, a monitoring body must work regularly to ensure that the money is reaching people as per demand and in due time. The pre-budget discussions in union level have raised the issue for public hearing and public involvement in interim budget discussions which should be increased so as to ensure government transparency and answerability to the public.
New Nation : According to you, the money allocated as budget takes a long time to reach root levels. What are the reasons behind this anomaly?
Md. Zobair Hasan : As there is no separate slot for water and sanitation ; so many organizations are involved in this budget. So it is a time consuming process for the budget to reach organizations from the Ministry and to the common people from the organizations. As an example, we have found out that the Department of Public Health and Engineering (DPHE) does not get any budget. For them, only utilities are allocated and these are always under the jurisprudence of one or other of their projects. So, they get money only according to the projects operating under them.
New Nation : How do you wish to view the water and sanitation sector in the 2015-16 fiscal year ?
Md. Zobair Hossain : At first, the water, sanitation and hygiene sector has to be recognized as a separate slot and placed under a specific Ministry. Secondly, local and people supported budget has to be prepared as because the water and sanitation responsibility of the entire country will be under the jurisprudence of the Ministry working for this slot.
The money allocated in the budget last year was only one-fifth of the requirement. The budget has to be raised in this sector. Political involvement and integrity is essential to realize the water and sanitation sector to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set for us. As an example we can also utilize the experiences gathered from the initiatives taken by our neighboring country India in this context. Besides, in the next budget, new projects that are creative and of long duration have to be included in this sector so that they may be realized to fulfill our national goal.
The National Budget for the fiscal 2015-16 will be presented in the National Assembly next month. People of different professions with diverse socio-economic backgrounds have demanded more allocation for safe water, sanitation and hygiene in the remote areas.
The New Nation had a conversation with Development Researcher Md. Zobair Hasan about the topic ‘Ways to resolve the issues of safe water, sanitation and hygiene from the civilians view point and the next budget’. Our correspondent Tareen Rahman took the interview.
New Nation (NN) : How much importance did the government put on the issues of water, sanitation and hygiene in the outgoing budget ?
Md. Zobair Ahmed : The answer cannot be limited within a simple’ Yes’ or ‘No’. If we analyze about the situation on this sector of the past five years, it will be seen that allocation in the budget for these areas were raised every year and many necessary changes were brought in the budget allocation process. Besides, by forming different timely regulations and techniques, the present government has underscored the importance of the water, sanitation and hygiene in the rural areas in particular.
Different private development organizations and bodies have identified this sector as a separate one and explained their reasons for increasing the allocation in budget for this sector.
Although there is a separate sector termed ‘Health and Education’, the multi-various functions of this sector are being realized by the organizations working under local Government Ministry. However, it is not clear till now which division of the Government will deal with the hygiene issue.
The Health Ministry has included the hygiene sector at the upazilah and union level by carrying out different workshops on this topic. The Education Ministry has also indirectly taken this sector under their wing.
Although, every year the money allocated in the budget for this sector is going up, yet that is not enough. Side by side, it is observed that less importance is given in the budget rural areas compared to the urbans.
This can never solve the issue, as 75 pc of our population live in villages. The government should pay a stricter eye on this issue. For proper development of this sector, the government should consider local and individual budget allocation in this sector to be an issue of greater importance.
New Nation : Are the general population reaping the fruits of budget in this sector ?
Md. Zobair Ahmed : Reaping benefits of budget depends on a number of issues. We have investigated the budget assigned for water, sanitation in upazilah and union level. Our findings show that benefits depend on two issues, first, to know how to prepare a budget with an eye over the overall issue and to finalize the proper item and line for budget so that the budget can be submitted in due time. Secondly, to get money as per requirement to realize the budget in allocated time.
If the money allocated in the budget for the month of July does not reach the upazilah and union people, even in December, then although the government raises sufficient fund, the public will not reap benefits of this budget. At the end of the fiscal year, in April and May, a lot of money is allocated which is not properly utilized by the concerned authorities.
We have also seen few instances where due to the initiative of local government organizations, the respective aid organizations have reached public service very quickly and the allocated budget was utilized properly. Keeping transparency and knowing that the government is answerable to the members of the public for two important factors and public involvement is also essential to attain the desired goal set for water, sanitation and hygiene sector. Only then, will the good benefits of the budget become visible.
New Nation : You have recently done a lot of pre-budget discussions at root level on these issues. In these discussions, on which points did the general public put more emphasis ?
Md. Zobair Hasan :In order to find out about public expectations and hope to the government in the next fiscal year, 2015-16, we carried out one-month long pre- budget discussions in 25 unions of the country. Although, we have had discussions about the national budget with people of different professions of people, sufficient discussions were not carried out with the union parishad representing the village people to find out the demands of the poor in our country.
The government has said that budget will be prepared for the 4550 union parishads of the country in April and May so as to ensure that public needs are being fulfilled.
Although a per head slot of Tk271 in water and sanitation sector is already set to achieve the Millenium Development Goal (MDG) of 2015, in root level the demand per head for this slot is only 83 taka. That says that the actual desired demand of the public in this sector is only one-third of the budget allocated for this sector.
So, in order to fulfill public demand, there is no option but to involve the general public. From bottom to top (Bottom up approach) , step by step, the development work has to be realized as planned. Everyone has shown his or her solidarity in the pre-budget discussion we did. Specially, before such discussions, there was no room for women to speak about their needs and demands although it is the female in the villages who play the key role in fulfilling demands for water in their family.
Many have asked that the pre-budget discussions in the union level be continued as it has given them an opportunity to speak out about their needs and demands. All classes of people have emphasized the need to increase the money allocation in the budget for water, sanitation and hygiene sector according to fulfill their area demands. Side by side, a monitoring body must work regularly to ensure that the money is reaching people as per demand and in due time. The pre-budget discussions in union level have raised the issue for public hearing and public involvement in interim budget discussions which should be increased so as to ensure government transparency and answerability to the public.
New Nation : According to you, the money allocated as budget takes a long time to reach root levels. What are the reasons behind this anomaly?
Md. Zobair Hasan : As there is no separate slot for water and sanitation ; so many organizations are involved in this budget. So it is a time consuming process for the budget to reach organizations from the Ministry and to the common people from the organizations. As an example, we have found out that the Department of Public Health and Engineering (DPHE) does not get any budget. For them, only utilities are allocated and these are always under the jurisprudence of one or other of their projects. So, they get money only according to the projects operating under them.
New Nation : How do you wish to view the water and sanitation sector in the 2015-16 fiscal year ?
Md. Zobair Hossain : At first, the water, sanitation and hygiene sector has to be recognized as a separate slot and placed under a specific Ministry. Secondly, local and people supported budget has to be prepared as because the water and sanitation responsibility of the entire country will be under the jurisprudence of the Ministry working for this slot.
The money allocated in the budget last year was only one-fifth of the requirement. The budget has to be raised in this sector. Political involvement and integrity is essential to realize the water and sanitation sector to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set for us. As an example we can also utilize the experiences gathered from the initiatives taken by our neighboring country India in this context. Besides, in the next budget, new projects that are creative and of long duration have to be included in this sector so that they may be realized to fulfill our national goal.
