Barisal City Corporation

Ambitious budget of Tk 444cr announced

The Barisal City Corporation (BCC) yesterday placed a Tk. 444.10 crore budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year without imposing fresh taxes or increasing existing ones against the revised budget of Tk. 182.74 crore of the 2015-16 fiscal year. 

The announced budget shows a deficit of Tk. 326 crore.
The proposed budget indicates an internal income source of barely Tk. 118.95 crore, which would be spent in meeting establishment costs. The remaining Tk. 326 crore is expected to come from government and non-government allocations tied to development projects.
BCC mayor Ahsan Habib Kamal announced the corporation's 15th budget at Nagar Bhavan in the morning, after getting the approval of the councillors. 
The budget as placed in the Nagar Bhavan conference room in the presence of the councillors, BCC officials, local administrators and journalists.
Kamal described the budget size as adequate for providing about eight lakh inhabitants of the city, spread over 58 square kilometres, the necessary civic facilities.
Designating 2016-2017 as the year of development for the city, the mayor said the habitation would be rid of waterlogging and drug addiction problem, and made child-friendly with healthy entertainment and amusement facilities. He also said that civic services would be upgraded by adding manpower, funds, and adopting a master plan.
In his budget speech, Kamal said he had proposed the construction of an overbridge at the court area and Nathullabad to reduce traffic jam.
The budget proposes to raise Tk. 118 crore from the BCC’s internal sources such as taxes, outstanding bills, advance money and fares, block allocations, trade licence fees, permanent asset transfers, leasing of corporation property and selling of tender schedules.
Development expenditure included Tk. 35.15 crore for the expansion of city streets, Tk. 100 core for  development of the extension area, Tk. 86 crore for structural improvement of the BCC, garbage management and renovation of the drainage system, Tk. 24 crore for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers and those affected by natural disasters, Tk. 15 crore for entertainment and recreation facilities as well as beautification, Tk. 22 crore for healthcare, sanitation and environment, and Tk. 20 crore for infrastructure development.
In his budget speech, the mayor said the expenditure incurred for BCC employees has doubled this year against marginal increase in income.
He said storage of construction material by the roadside would be held illegal for it causes waterlogging after showers. He also announced a hike in the wages of daily labourers to Tk. 250 from Tk. 150 earlier.
 Civil society activists, however, seemed sceptical about the new budget. They said the BCC had repeatedly failed to meet its budget commitments over the past few years. They described the budget as ambitious and wishful, saying it would not fulfil even the minimum demands of the city dwellers.

Barisal City Corporation

Ambitious budget of Tk 444cr announced

The Barisal City Corporation (BCC) yesterday placed a Tk. 444.10 crore budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year without imposing fresh taxes or increasing existing ones against the revised budget of Tk. 182.74 crore of the 2015-16 fiscal year. The announced budget shows a deficit of Tk. 326 crore. The proposed budget indicates an internal income source of barely Tk. 118.95 crore, which would be spent in meeting establishment costs. The remaining Tk. 326 crore is expected to come from government and non-government allocations tied to development projects. BCC mayor Ahsan Habib Kamal announced the corporations 15th budget at Nagar Bhavan in the morning, after getting the approval of the councillors. The budget as placed in the Nagar Bhavan conference room in the presence of the councillors, BCC officials, local administrators and journalists. Kamal described the budget size as adequate for providing about eight lakh inhabitants of the city, spread over 58 square kilometres, the necessary civic facilities. Designating 2016-2017 as the year of development for the city, the mayor said the habitation would be rid of waterlogging and drug addiction problem, and made child-friendly with healthy entertainment and amusement facilities. He also said that civic services would be upgraded by adding manpower, funds, and adopting a master plan. In his budget speech, Kamal said he had proposed the construction of an overbridge at the court area and Nathullabad to reduce traffic jam. The budget proposes to raise Tk. 118 crore from the BCCs internal sources such as taxes, outstanding bills, advance money and fares, block allocations, trade licence fees, permanent asset transfers, leasing of corporation property and selling of tender schedules. Development expenditure included Tk. 35.15 crore for the expansion of city streets, Tk. 100 core for development of the extension area, Tk. 86 crore for structural improvement of the BCC, garbage management and renovation of the drainage system, Tk. 24 crore for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers and those affected by natural disasters, Tk. 15 crore for entertainment and recreation facilities as well as beautification, Tk. 22 crore for healthcare, sanitation and environment, and Tk. 20 crore for infrastructure development. In his budget speech, the mayor said the expenditure incurred for BCC employees has doubled this year against marginal increase in income. He said storage of construction material by the roadside would be held illegal for it causes waterlogging after showers. He also announced a hike in the wages of daily labourers to Tk. 250 from Tk. 150 earlier. Civil society activists, however, seemed sceptical about the new budget. They said the BCC had repeatedly failed to meet its budget commitments over the past few years. They described the budget as ambitious and wishful, saying it would not fulfil even the minimum demands of the city dwellers.