New MPO list to be published within a week: Dipu Moni
Education Minister Dipu Moni on Friday expressed her optimism that the ministry would be able to publish the new list of educational institutions that will be brought under the monthly payment order (MPO) scheme within a week, reports news agency BSS.
“Hopefully, we will be able to publish the new MPO list within a week. But, right now I cannot say the exact number of institutions that will be brought under the MPO scheme,” she told a post-budget press conference at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Agriculture Minister M Abdur Razzaque, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque, State Minister for Finance Shamsul Alam, Bangladesh Bank Governor Fazle Kabir, Finance Division Senior Secretary Abdur Rouf Talukder, NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem, Financial Institution Division Secretary Sheikh Mohammad Salim Ullah, Planning Division Secretary Prodeep Ranjan Chakrabarty, ERD Secretary Fatima Yasmin were present at the press conference.
Besides, ministers, state ministers, secretaries and other high officials from different ministries and divisions were also present.
On Thursday, the finance minister placed a Tk 678,064 crore budget for the next fiscal year (FY23) at the Jatiya Sangsad eying a 7.5 per cent growth and containing average inflation at 5.6 per cent.
Terming the new budget as a pro-people one in the post-pandemic period, Dipu Moni, also Awami League joint general secretary, said the education sector got around 20 per cent higher allocation in the proposed national budget for fiscal year (2022-23) than the outgoing fiscal year while allocation in research has also increased.
Allocation for development budget in education sector has also increased by around 60 per cent, she mentioned.
“Now it is our duty on how efficiently and properly we can make the best use of the budgetary allocation,” she said.
The minister said allocation of the both education ministry and primary and mass education ministry in the education sector has increased.
A total of 28 ministries work for the development of human resources in education and allocation has increased to a great extent there too, she mentioned.
“Our Prime Minister’s main target is to make development of human resources. We are working to achieve the goal. I am extending thanks to Finance Minister for increasing allocation in this sector,” she said.
Replying to a question, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque termed the new budget as a ‘time-befitting’ one in the post-Covid-19 pandemic period.
Expressing his satisfaction over the new budget, he said tax on medical equipment import has been reduced in the proposed budget.
Noting that the new budget puts emphasis on strengthening the health system, the minister said the special attention was given to health and education sectors in the budget.
Highlighting different aspects of the budget, Maleque said tax on import of essential goods and industrial raw materials was not increased while subsidy in agriculture and allocation in social safety nets has increased.