Parliament yesterday passed the country’s biggest-ever national budget of Tk. 340,505 crore for the 2016–17 fiscal year, with the aim of attaining a higher growth rate.
Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith placed the proposed national budget on June 2, setting a gross domestic product (GDP) growth target of 7.2 per cent.
The national budget will come into an effect from July 1.
The House, with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair, also adopted the Appropriation Bill, 2016, piloted by the finance minister, seeking budgetary allocations of Tk. 464,553.97 crore for meeting the development and non-development expenditures for various ministries. Lawmakers of the Treasury benches passed the bill by a voice vote, rejecting some 420 cut motions put forward by Opposition and Independent MPs. Ministers in charge of various ministries placed their proposals for expenditures through 55 demands for grants, which were passed by voice vote.
The House ran discussions on only seven cut motions, while the rest of the motions were put on guillotine.
Speaking on the cut motions, the lawmakers slammed the government on some issues, including looting in the banking sector and the Bangladesh Bank heist. They alleged that despite irregularities, measures have not been taken against the offenders.