From Jatiya Sangsad Bhavan(Barta24.com): Former president of Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) and Awami League MP Saber Hossain Chowdhury said in the Jatiyo Sangsad (JS) that, due to tobacco about one lakh 61 thousand 253 people die every year which is 20 prcent of the total death in the country. So tobacco causes loss to the tune of Taka 30 thousand crore annually, Saber Chowdhury informed the JS.
He disclosed this in the JS on Monday(June24) in the third session of 11th JS taking part in the general discussion on budget of 2019-20.
He said that the total deficit in the budget is one lakh 35 thousand crore then why we are giving exemption to tobacco. We are giving exemption of Taka 3 thousand crore to the tobacco companies. If we impose tax of 50 paisa then the revenue income will stand at Taka 4 thousand crore. Then why we are exempting tax on tobacco, he asked.
He called upon the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister to take necessary steps regarding this matter.
Saber Hossain Chowdhury said, the disparity between rich and poor is increasing. The disparity is increasing both in income and assets. If we fail to face this challenge then our achievement will not be sustainable. Another challenge is that the GDP is increasing but the rate of unemployment is not decreasing which is 4.2 percent now. The matter of educated unemployment is a very much concerning. The youths obtaining the degrees of the universities are facing the unemployment problem acute which is 11.2 percent. But the educated of only primary level is 2.7 percent. So rate of the higher educated unemployed youths are increasing to an alarming situation, he said and added that this cannot be acceptable to us.
He further said that time has come to introduce unemployment pension. If we can give the unemployed youths then their frustration will be removed. We can bring them out from the conception that they are not liabilities of the state and society. The number of HSC pass unemployed youth is 6 lakh 38 thousand(BBS). If we give them unemployment pension then it will require Taka 2 thousand 290 crore. If we provide 4 lakh 5 thousand unemployed youths having university degrees at the rate Taka 7500 per month then the total expenditure will stand at Taka 6 thousand crore. Then we will be able to bring the 10 lakh unemployed under one umbrella, Saber Hossain Chowdhury added.
Drawing the attention of the Finance Minister he said that we have allocated only 2.5 percent of GDP while we have informed the international forum that we gave 6 percent allocation. Now we are to look at the mismatch in the education sector allotment that how much it is consistent with the reality.