proposed budget for 2017-18 FY

Not pro-people, say AL allies

The alliance partners of the ruling Awami League (AL) have observed that the national budget for 2017-18 is not pro-people. Instead, it will adversely affect the lower- and middle-income groups. They said people will be hard hit by the excess burden of taxation proposed. The ruling alliance leaders called upon the government to re-fix tax rates related to the poor. The Finance Minister, AMA Muhith, on Thursday placed a Tk. 4,00,266 crore national budget for 2017-18 in Parliament.
Left-leaning political parties rejected the budget, saying it would create more scope for corruption and cause huge sufferings to the already hard-pressed poor.
Talking to this correspondent, Workers' Party president, Rashed Khan Menon, said yesterday that the government presented such an ambitious budget in a bid to develop the country. But there is a big question mark over inequality in income between the rich and the poor. The government will find it tough to implement the budget, he said.
The Ganatantrik Party general secretary, Dr Shahdat Hossain, said the lower and middle income groups will have to bear the excess burden of taxation proposed in the budget, which is very unfortunate. He also said the government should reconsider the budget proposals.
SK Sikder, general secretary of the Gana Azadi League, an alliance partner of the ruling AL, told this correspondent that the government proposed such a big budget keeping in mind the next general election slated for 2019.   “But people will be irritated due to  the excess burden of taxation,” he said.
Sharif Nurul Ambia, a factional chief of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), said the proposed budget will not protect the poor people’s interests; rather, it will serve the interests of the rich and corrupt people.
He said the government has proposed a huge allocation for the development sector.
But no special allocation has been made for creating jobs, though unemployment is a major problem for Bangladesh.
Other leaders of the ruling alliance came up with similar statements. They said the budget was not prepared keeping the interest of the common people in mind.

proposed budget for 2017-18 FY

Not pro-people, say AL allies

The alliance partners of the ruling Awami League (AL) have observed that the national budget for 2017-18 is not pro-people. Instead, it will adversely affect the lower- and middle-income groups. They said people will be hard hit by the excess burden of taxation proposed. The ruling alliance leaders called upon the government to re-fix tax rates related to the poor. The Finance Minister, AMA Muhith, on Thursday placed a Tk. 4,00,266 crore national budget for 2017-18 in Parliament. Left-leaning political parties rejected the budget, saying it would create more scope for corruption and cause huge sufferings to the already hard-pressed poor. Talking to this correspondent, Workers Party president, Rashed Khan Menon, said yesterday that the government presented such an ambitious budget in a bid to develop the country. But there is a big question mark over inequality in income between the rich and the poor. The government will find it tough to implement the budget, he said. The Ganatantrik Party general secretary, Dr Shahdat Hossain, said the lower and middle income groups will have to bear the excess burden of taxation proposed in the budget, which is very unfortunate. He also said the government should reconsider the budget proposals. SK Sikder, general secretary of the Gana Azadi League, an alliance partner of the ruling AL, told this correspondent that the government proposed such a big budget keeping in mind the next general election slated for 2019. But people will be irritated due to the excess burden of taxation, he said. Sharif Nurul Ambia, a factional chief of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), said the proposed budget will not protect the poor peoples interests; rather, it will serve the interests of the rich and corrupt people. He said the government has proposed a huge allocation for the development sector. But no special allocation has been made for creating jobs, though unemployment is a major problem for Bangladesh. Other leaders of the ruling alliance came up with similar statements. They said the budget was not prepared keeping the interest of the common people in mind.