Budget to facilitate high-income people: CPD

The proposed national budget for 2019-20 fiscal year will ensure facilities only to the high-income people, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) distinguished fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya said today.

"The proposed budget will go in favour of the people who are beneficiary of economic misrule and it is a matter of our grave concern," Debapriya said.

The CPD distinguished fellow came up with the reaction during a press conference on the proposed budget of Tk 523,190 crore.

The budget is completely contrary to the election manifesto of ruling Awami League, he said at Dhaka hotel this morning.

"Awami League's election manifesto was well-written and organised as well and I consider it as its guiding principle, but the budget is completely contrary to it," he said.

Claiming that the social discrimination will increase due to impact of the budget, he said the society, which is affected by inequality, cannot sustain in the long run.

The finance minister in his budget speech yesterday said the number of tax payers will be increased but there was no clear indication on when and how it will be done, the CPD fellow said.

The budget was proposed to ensure infrastructure development with the government money aiming at increasing the growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but it is a prehistoric thought, he said.

There were many things told in the budget speech yesterday about youth, women, children and old age people, however, the youth and sports ministry has been denied of adequate allocation, he said.

A breakthrough in the country's education and health sectors was needed but ratio in implementing the national budget in the sectors was worst in the last 10 years, he said.