‘Implementation constraints will challenge the proposed budget’



Senior Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
ছবি: সংগৃহীত

ছবি: সংগৃহীত

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The proposed budget for the fiscal year 2021-22 is the 50th budget of Bangladesh. This is the second budget in the ongoing Corona pandemic. This budget was presented at a time when Bangladesh has not yet been free from the impacts of Corona. We are still feeling the impact of the corona.

During the implementation of the budget for the last fiscal year 2020-21, there have been many reactions to the corona infection. In this context, the important issues for the fiscal year 2021-22 are: development of the health sector, including addressing health risks through vaccination for all; Ensuring food security by increasing the coverage of social security; creating employment by increasing government investment; Above all, a medium-term plan for the recovery of the economy.

The fiscal year 2020-21 has seen a number of weaknesses in the macro-economy. Such as deficits in revenue collection; Weaknesses in government spending; Slow pace of project implementation; slowdown in the implementation of annual development programs; budget deficit is below the projected limit due to below government spending targets; declining industrial production, especially in small industries; slightly upward food inflation.

On the other hand, some positive aspects have also been noticed. As such, exports and imports are turning around somewhat; remittance flows upward; the balance of transactions is comforting; currency exchange rates have stabilized and foreign exchange reserves have increased.

In this context, many of the issues that were supposed to be included in the budget for the fiscal year 2021-22 were not seen. Very few special circumstances have been considered in terms of rights and corona.

The immediate response of the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) to the National Budget 2021-22 was given by the Executive Director of the CPD, Dr. Fahmida Khatun.

The CPD gave a brief response after the Finance Minister presented the 2021-22 national budget in the JS on Thursday (June 3).

In the next budget, GDP growth has been projected at 7.2 percent. The government is expecting a normal growth in the next financial year. If this growth is to happen, there will have to be a lot more investment in the next financial year. It is not clear where the growth will come from if public and private sector investment does not increase.

In terms of revenue collection, the tax collection target has been kept the same as in the last financial year. But we do not know how to meet this target. It is not possible for the National Board of Revenue to achieve this with the current level of capability. In terms of revenue, the measures have been targeted not at the individual but at the business. The tax and value-added discounts that have been given to them will help bring the business back to corona period. At the same time, low-interest lending is a good move for small entrepreneurs. However, in the case of individual taxes, the lower income tax limit has not been increased. Doing so would bring in money to spend and invest in the hands of the common man because the most important thing at this time is to increase the consumption of people.

A large part of the increased allocation of government expenditure is being given for public administration. In the current situation, development expenditure needs to be increased and non-development or management expenditure needs to be reduced. We will be able to invest and create employment with what will be saved from this.

In terms of expenditure, the implementation of the annual development program is less than in previous years. This highlights the weakness of implementation. The government will have to rely more on foreign debt to meet the budget deficit. However, care must be taken to ensure that the debt burden does not increase. We are now in a comfortable position to repay the loan, it has to be maintained.

We also consider the social security sector as a sector of authority. Some allocations in the social security sector have increased. However, as before, there are pensions for government employees. So it's not as big as it looks.

So in a nutshell, we didn’t notice the budget that was needed to tackle Covid-19 on the one hand and recover the economy from Covid-19 on the other. That is not a one-year budget. That budget should have a clear direction on what the health sector, education, social sector, employment, etc. will look like in the next few years and what the spending structure will be like in other sectors, how the revenue will be raised.

Overall, weak assumptions and implementation constraints will challenge the implementation of the corona period budget.

Honorary fellow of CPD, Prof. Mostafizur Rahman; CPD's research director Dr. Khandaker Golam Moazzem and CPD's Senior Research Fellow, Mr. Taufiqul Islam Khan were present on the occasion.

   

Everything will be strict to make elections fair: EC Alamgir



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

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Election Commissioner (EC) Md. Alamgir said that everything will be strict to make upazila elections fair, nothing will be soft. Whatever is necessary will be done, as strict as necessary, to maintain law, order and fair elections. It cannot be reduced, and if anyone reduces it, he will not be exempted if he is negligent.

He said that the security system has been strengthened more in the upazila elections than in the national elections. There was only the army in the national elections. And in the upazila elections, there will be members of other law and order forces along with the army.

He said these things in the speech as the chief guest at a discussion meeting on the law and order situation organized in the conference room of the Gopalganj Deputy Commissioner's office on the occasion of the Sixth Upazila Parishad election on Sunday (April 28) afternoon.

Regarding the national election, the Election Commissioner said, we held the national election on January 7. As in Gopalganj, this election was completed peacefully and properly. We want to maintain the record we have of fair elections.

He also said that in the upazila elections, voters can vote fairly, votes are counted fairly, results are announced fairly, and people should ensure that whoever they vote for can be elected. No influential person should be able to extort votes from voters by intimidation or create disorder in the polling station.

The Election Commissioner (EC) commented that it is risky to talk to the media. Alamgir said, "In the past, we have seen that the voting rate is always high in the local government elections. I have not said anywhere that 80% of votes will be counted. However, some media have promoted this. Many have written columns about it. That's why I fear the media.

Regarding EVMs, he said, the previous commission bought EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines), it had some problems. As EVMs are being destroyed, the manpower, money and storage space needed to maintain them were not available in earlier projects. As a result, they are getting destroyed. Based on the EVMs that are good, we have planned EVM polling in nine districts.

Superintendent of Police Al-Baili Afifa and election related officials were present in the exchange meeting held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Kazi Mahbubul Alam. Earlier, the election commissioner Md. Alamgir paid tribute to Bangabandhu's tomb by reaching Tungipara.

Later, he took part in Surah Fatiha recitation and special prayers seeking forgiveness for the souls of Bangabandhu and his martyred family members.

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Instruction to investigate the allegations against Milton



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

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The National Human Rights Commission has ordered a speedy investigation into the allegations leveled against Milton Samadder of Child and Old Age Care.

Yusha Rahman, public relations officer of the National Human Rights Commission, informed the media in a circular on Sunday (April 28) afternoon.

According to the National Human Rights Commission, the brutal and barbaric picture that has emerged in the background of human services in the report published in the national The daily Kalbela is very terrible. Human service is an absolute religion but the allegation against Milton Samadder of selling organs in the name of medical treatment by picking up sick, helpless and innocent people from the streets under the guise of human service is very scary, disgusting and a gross violation of human rights.

According to the constitutional body, the commission thinks that the information that has come up in the report about the accused Milton Samaddar's detention of seriously ill patients in his own institution instead of taking them to the hospital, the preparation of death certificates by fake doctors or the mutilation of the bodies of the dead bodies should be properly investigated.

Therefore, the Commissioner of Police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police has been asked to investigate the complaint closely and take appropriate legal action and send a report to the Commission at the earliest. At the same time, the Director General, Department of Social Services has been asked to investigate the activities of such institutions and take necessary measures and send a report to the Commission. The report is said to be submitted to the commission on May 30.

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It is recommended to harvest paddy at 80 percent maturity



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

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The Department of Agriculture Extension has advised harvesting Boro paddy at 80 per cent maturity in Haor region to avoid the adverse effects of possible heavy rainfall.

The department gave this advice in an emergency notice sent to the media on Sunday (April 28).

It is said that according to the forecast of the Meteorological Department, there is a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall in many places in North-East Haor region of Bangladesh (Sylhet, Sunamganj, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Kishoreganj, Brahmanbaria and Netrokono) from May 3. In such a situation the following suggestions are given to protect standing crops from the harmful effects of heavy rainfall in Haor region:

>> When boro paddy is 80 percent mature, collect it quickly and keep it in a safe and dry place.

>> Harvest fast ripening vegetables.

>> Keep the drains clean so that water does not accumulate in the paddy field.

>> Raise the land aisle.

>> Take measures to remove excess manure from cropland.

>> Avoid irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides.

>> Apply herbicide after rainfall.

>> Arrange poles for bananas and other horticultural crops and vegetables. 

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Schools also opened on heat alert, students at risk of heatstroke



Raju Ahmed, Btaff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
Photo: Barta24.com

Photo: Barta24.com

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Educational institutions have reopened after more than a month of vacation due to Eid and severe heat wave. According to the decision of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, teaching has resumed from Sunday. The teaching time schedule has been changed to the new time. But even at that time the students are at risk of intense heat.

Parents said that students have to change their routine regularly. Naturally, students have to get some momentum in making new habits. Besides, many students are being deprived of study time and private tuition facilities. Apart from this, the temperature outside becomes unbearable after 9 am due to heat wave in the country. As a result, students are not out of danger in teaching according to the new time. In such a situation, online classes are better, they said

Marano Marin, a sixth-grader at Farmgate Bottomley Home Girls School. She regularly comes to school at 10 am. Wake up at 8 in the morning as per daily habit, have breakfast and get ready. However, this student took about 35 and half minutes to prepare herself for the new rules. Merino Lina, Marino's mother, said that she is suffering from a headache due to lack of sleep.

"There are certain aspects of our habits that cannot be changed," says Lina Even if there are changes, there are many complications and there are many problems to adapt. It is more in the case of children.

She said, the heat can no longer be tolerated at 10 o'clock in the morning. Decisions taken to protect children are not benefiting them in any way. As severe as the weather has become, there is no way to change the time. Online classes are required for this.

Amena Khatun, mother of a class 4 student of Nakhal Para Primary School, said that the heat wave is high from morning to afternoon. As a result, keeping students at home is the way to prevent what we are talking about. In this case, as long as the heat wave lasts, their online education system seems to be the best for us.

Maruf, a class nine student of Civil Aviation School said, "We have a habit of a regular morning routine." Out of which there is some problem today to fix the new time. However, the afternoon sun did not get rid of it. The body is sweating now in such a situation it would be better if we had online classes

According to the government's new timings, the schools run in one shift (shift) from 8 am to 11:30 pm every day. And in two shifts, the first shift will run from 8:00 am to 9:30 am and the second shift will run from 10:15 am to 11:30 pm.

Is it possible to protect children from heat and sun by changing the shift? In this context, pediatricians say that children are most at risk of intense heat flow. Overheated children may have diarrhea, pneumonia, jaundice. Besides, children are suffering from fever, cold and cough. Inflammation of the respiratory system, ear infections, tonsillitis and pneumonia can also occur. Hot sun can cause skin blisters, skin discoloration, fungal infections, rashes and itching. As a result, everyone is advised to stay at home to protect children from the sun.

Doctors said, the current temperature is totally abnormal for children. As a result, children can be affected in various ways. It is important to keep children in a cool and shaded place. And family awareness should be raised to avoid heat. So not shift change, but a safe place for child protection is definitely needed.

Pediatrician and Associate Scientist at ICDDRB Hospital Farhana Afroz said that the heat flow is increasing day by day. As a result children and old people are suffering from various diseases. Children in particular are at increased risk. Therefore, special attention should be paid to children.

She said, children should be kept away from heat as well as dust. Outside food and drinking water should be prevented from contamination. Children may become dizzy due to discomfort in intense heat. It is best to stay indoors during the day to avoid all risks.

Incidentally, the heat wave started in the country from March 31. Continuous heat wave for the last 28 days; which was never seen in the past. In this situation, the government did not open schools after the Eid holiday. A holiday was declared in schools and colleges till April 27 due to unbearable heat.

The United Nations children's fund UNICEF has also called for special measures for children this summer, reminding them that they are at 'very high risk'. 

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