AL MP castigates failure to implement ADP

Awami League MP Abdul Matin Khasru on Monday expressed resentment over the failure of some ministries to implement the annual development programmes, reports UNB.

"We're giving big allocation, but we can't implement them. When the fiscal year nears its end, we hear that the implementation rate isn't more than 70 per cent," he said taking part in the budget discussion in parliament.

The Cumilla-5 MP noted that some bureaucrats often said that they are withdrawing the rest of the money.

"Prime minister Sheikh Hasina is giving you the money at the beginning of the fiscal year. We want to see that you've implemented the budget. You've to avail the capability to implement the programmes with the budget allocation," he said.

Khasru proposed forming a parliamentary committee for supervising budget implementation."We want to find out why we could not implement the budget," he said.

The former law minister praised the government for increasing the allocation.

"We've to increase our capability in budget implementation. The capabilities of the ministries have to be increased as well as that of the National Board of Revenue," he said, adding that the lacking of the ministries has to be identified.

He criticised the attitude of the ruling party MPs who attack the BNP and said they should instead focus on finding out how we can build our capacity and how the ministries can fully implement their budget allocations.

Khasru said that the development spree that started during the incumbent government has to be maintained and for that the tax net has to be expanded.

Treasury bench MP Saber Hossain Chowdhury urged the government to introduce "unemployment allowance" as the number of unemployment was increasing alongside the increasing GDP.

He said that 11.2 per cent of the unemployed are educated.

'Restore order in banking sector'

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal president Hasanul Haq Inu slammed the black money whitening option as "anti-constitutional and unethical", noting that such moves did not yield good results in the past.

"The scope to legalise undisclosed money failed to yield any benefit in the past 10 years. It has no influence on the economy," Inu said, adding that the government should publish a list of persons who have whitened their black money.

He also demanded forming of a commission to restore order in the banking sector. "Initiative for amending laws related to banks and the merging of banks is immediately needed," he said, suggesting quickly recovering money from big loan defaulters.

He said that Bangladesh Bank has the legal power to control banks and recommended the central bank exercise its power independently until the commission on banks is formed.

Inu demanded cancellation of additional five percent supplementary duty tax on phone calls and import duty on smartphones.

"Increasing tax at source to 10 per cent from five per cent on family savings certificates will have a negative impact. Imposing tax on online and ride sharing was unfortunate. These decisions should be reviewed," he said.

'Eligible institutions to be brought under MPO'

Education minister Dipu Moni said that education for creating more skilled manpower will be possible with allocation for the sector in the proposed budget.

She said that Monthly Pay Order for non-government educational institutions will be provided based on criteria set up by the ministry.

"All eligible institutions who have met the criteria will be brought under the MPO system," she added.

Dipu said everyone should work together to make the ineligible institutions eligible so that these could be brought under MPO system.

Khaleda's release sought

Meanwhile, BNP MP Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan demanded the unconditional release of party chief Khaleda Zia.

He said that the former prime minister was a victim of the political ploy of the ruling Awami League which is barring her from getting bail.

He also demanded withdrawal of 'ghost cases' filed against BNP leaders and activists across the country.

Sattar noted that during a pre-poll dialogue, prime minister Hasina assured them that such cases would be withdrawn.

"But they still exist," he claimed.