Mahmud Hasan |
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There are few positive steps proposed in this year’s national budget. Most praising steps are Reaching Out of School Children (ROSC) for primary school drop out childrens, trade courses for women in vocational training institutions, equity development fund for SME promotion, Agro-based Industries Assistance Programme, Fund for Assistance to Small Farmers Affected by Natural Disasters etc. The budget proposal for allocating Tk. 20 crore to create Skill Development Fund for the Readymade Garments Workers will boost the development RMG sector. The declaration for “Fund for Housing the Homeless” program will also directly address the issues of poverty alleviation. On the contrary, it is declared that the proposed budget 2006-07 is focusing on poverty alleviation through employment generation. Surprisingly, the Finance Minister has proposed only 1 percent (22% to 23%) incremental budget for human resource development. The declarations versus allocations is contradictory. This year budget also ignores the possibility of using submarine cable for economic growth, which is recently inaugurated by the Prime Minister. For the total communication industry, it seems completely ignorance of their commitment. It is a “big fall in national vision”. The budget also ignores the top most priority issue of power sector failure.
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