DHAKA: The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), an independent think-tank, on Friday (June 3) said there are problems in generating revenue income, use of foreign income and implementation of annual development program (ADP).

CPD’s distinguished fellow Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya was analyzing and evaluating the national budget for the fiscal year 2016-17 in front of media in city’s Gulshan in the morning.

He said the economic structure of the national budget has eroded.

Criticising the size of ADP of Tk 110,700 crore, which is 22 percent larger than the outgoing fiscal, the noted economist said the finance minister did not come up with necessary reformations to implement such a huge ADP.

He further said there are many projects that were initiated under the outgoing fiscal, have not been completed by 50 percent till now.

“Tk one lakh was allocated to 18 projects each while a total of Tk one crore was allocated to 20 projects. Of the mega projects, no other projects except Padma Bridge and Rooppur Atomic Power Plant received enough money.”

In this context, it is tough to implement more large-scale projects, he added.

He also asked the government to focus on processes of revenue income to fulfill the humongous projection of acquiring around Tk. 242,752 crore in the 2016-17 fiscal.

He also demanded about composing a national policy in the cases of subsidy.

CPD executive director Professor Dr. Mustafizur Rahman was also present in the media briefing.

On June 2, finance minister AMA Muhith placed the national budget of Tk 340,605 crore at Jatiya Sangsad.

He projected Tk 242,752 crore as total tax revenue while Tk 97,853 crore is deficit.

BDST: 1323 HRS, JUN 03, 2016
SR