PM urges all to pay tax for overcoming budget deficit

Stating that the postponement of uniform VAT will reduce Taka 20,000 crore in revenue, Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged the countrymen to pay tax for overcoming budget deficit and further development the country.

"The revenue amounting to Tk 20,000 crore will be decreased due to postponement of uniform 15 percent value added tax (VAT). We will see where and how it can be adjusted ... but I would like to tell the people that if all pay tax then it will be utilised for the development," she said.

The prime minister was delivering her valedictory speech of the 16th session of the 10th Parliament with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury presiding.

Sheikh Hasina said if the people pay little tax then they will get many facilities. "It will be utilized for development of roads and bridges as well as production of crops and electricity ... the people will be benefited from all sides," she said.

The premier urged the lawmakers to increase their vigilance so that the money that has been allocated for different projects are spent properly.

"I would like to request the lawmakers to raise their vigilance so that the money that has been allocated for different projects are spent properly. Then we will be able to take the country towards the path of uplift," she said.

In this connection, the leader of the House said Tk 1, 53,331 crore have been allocated for the annual development programmes as against Tk 1,11,000 crore in the last fiscal.

Sheikh Hasina said the government has created a history by spending Tk 1,07,000 crore out of Tk 1,11,000 crore that was allocated for development budget in the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

Regarding the budget of the current fiscal year, the prime minister such a big budget was not placed in the past. The total budget allocation has been increased by 6025 percent in the last 8 years.

Illustrating her government's various steps for developing the country, Sheikh Hasina said: "We have made economy dynamic and reduced income disparity as well as disparity between the rich and poor."

The prime minister mentioned that ensuring socioeconomic development of the rural and grassroots people is the aim and policy of her government. "We are successfully implementing that policy," she said.

Referring to this year's budget theme "Unnayaner Mohasarake Bangladesh Samoy Ekhon Amader," the leader of the House said Bangladesh is now a role of model of development as well as a surprise of development before the whole world.

"We are always monitoring our development," she said and thanked all concerned for it."

While talking about the water-logging problem of Dhaka city, the prime minister criticised the construction of box culverts by the previous governments by filling up the canals.

She said the box culverts are not applicable to our country. The scope for draining out water has been squeezed due to construction of such box culverts and those who constructed the culverts didn't make any arrangement for water sewerage, she said.

The prime minister said had the canals remained intact by re-excavation and roads constructed on both sides, then the environment would have been beautiful as well as a proper water sewerage system been built.

She said box culverts have been built by closing the Panthapath Canal, Motojheel Canal, Segun Bagicha Canal, and Shantinagar Canal and Ayub Khan, General Ziaur Rahman and General Esrshad did these works.

Mentioning that water bodies are a must for protecting environment and ecology, the prime minister said almost all water bodies, ponds and canals were filled by the previous governments.

"But after coming to power, we've stopped filling up water bodies by enacting necessary laws and for this the government had to face criticism from some newspapers and TV channels," she said

The prime minister said the government has specific directives that there must have necessary water bodies while building any residential areas or industrial zones.

She said problem is created when everything is changed with the changing of a government. If any plan is taken in a well manner, then the environment is protected and then the country is saved.

The prime minister also mentioned her government's preparations for tackling the flood that hit different parts of the country.

"We didn't sit idle when the haor areas experienced flood and we increased food stock by importing food from abroad as there is a possibility of a big flood ... we did it so that the people don't suffer," she said.

The prime minister also informed the House that the government has taken various steps to check use of formalin. The mobile court drives against adulteration of foods are going on, she said.

She said the government has taken initiatives to fulfil the shortage of salt in the country as salt production has been hampered due to excessive rains this year.

The prime minister reiterated Bangladesh's zero tolerance policy against terrorism and militancy and said there won't be any place for militants in the country and the government has been taking action against them.

"Our aim is to ensure peace and development of the people, check corruption and curb terrorism and militancy," she said.

Source: bss