Announcement of the proposed national budget for the financial year 2015-16 has created mixed reactions among the general public in Barisal yesterday. Common people have made the remark that the proposed budget to ‘widen rich-poor gap’.
Syedur Rahman Rintu, president of Barisal Chamber and Commerce and Industries, welcomed the announced budget and expressed hope that the budget must focus on the development of the disaster prone-Barisal region.
At the same time, Jahangir Hosen Manik, vice president of Barisal Chamber and Commerce and Industries said it is not a good budget for the mass people of the country. Maximum poor people and even middle class people will be badly affected by this budget, he added.
Prof Jyotirmoy Biswas of Barisal University said collection of revenue may be hampered and there will be an inflationary pressure.
Ebaydul Haque Chand, former president of Barisal Chamber and Commerce and Industries, rejecting the budget said it is a photo session in the name of national budget.
Ranjeet Datta, secretary of Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh, calling for a pro-people budget , said this proposed budget will fail to be implemented,  prioritising and focusing on needs, prospects and regional issues.
Here is nothing for the poor of the society.
On the other hand, Bijoy Krisna Dey, president of Bangladesh Bidi Industry Owners Association and also owner of Karikor Bidi Factory, welcoming the budget, thanked the finance minister for realising the reality of the mass people. He said that there is a scope to welcome the budget if finance minister  decreases  deficit of the budget increasing more tax on  cigarette and imported food items.
He added budgets have always been good in Bangladesh but mismanagement of the budget hurts its implementation.  Most of the leaders of the business community and professional organisations have termed the proposed budget “over-ambitious and anti-people” that will fail to “reduce poverty”.
The budget will also fail to get any  special allocation for the disaster-prone areas due to climate change, the leaders observed .The proposed budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year will make the rich richer and the poor poorer, said
Dr Mizanur Rahman, member secretary of Barisal Nagarik Samaj.
It will only add to the discrimination between the two, he observed.
OUR staff reporter adds from Ctg: The budget has proposed to increase import tax on certain consumer goods like sugar, tea, betel nut and dairy products which may have an adverse impact on the consumer market in the country.
The wholesalers and the retailers of the port city expressed their anticipation that the proposal to increase import tax on the consumer goods like sugar, tea and betel nut might create instability in the domestic consumer market.  
Syed Sagir Ahmed, general secretary of Khatunganj Trade and Industries Association told The Independent that the proposal to shoot up import tax on certain consumer goods would trigger instability.
“The consumers want that the prices of essentials be remain within purchasing capacity. We have to meet our demand of sugar through import. We are put in a difficult situation as we are also asked not to increase the prices of essentials ahead of Ramzan,” said Sagir.
“The government should not increase the import tax of certain consumer items like tea and sugar as these are consumed by the people on a regular basis.”
“The month of holy Ramzan is now knocking at the door. The government should give it a second thought before increasing the import tax on certain consumer goods.
There are some unscrupulous traders who will take advantage of it. The unscrupulous wholesalers and retailers might increase the price on the plea of the import tax,” said Mohammad Lokman, director of Messers Hazi Khuilya Mia Traders.
“The government should pay heed to the domestic consumer market so that it does not become volatile,” said Mohammad Shah Alam. A consumer buying goods from Messers Hazi Khuilya Mia Traders at Khatunganj wholesale market.