Many things in national budget can still be revised: FinMin
Staff Correspondent
Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali on Thursday said that the government is considering all realistic criticism and suggestions regarding the national budget, proposed for the fiscal year starting next month, before passing it in the parliament.
He said that since placing of the budget for FY2024-25 at the National Parliament, reactions are coming from various quarters.
“We are taking all feedback into consideration. Those that are realistic and feasible must be reconsidered in the budget . Because the budget has not been passed yet,” he pointed out.
The finance minister made the comments while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion meeting titled "Economy of Bangladesh in Global Context: Growth, Inflation, Food and Nutrition" held at the auditorium of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Farmgate in the capital on Thursday.
He said that after the budget presentation, various quarters made statements and comments. “I will tell them to look at what the World Bank is saying about our economy and budget,” he said.
He said, “There is more to say about the budget [than criticisms]. The World Bank has said it is good. I need money, I need to listen to the World Bank. If not, you (the critics) give me the money.”
The finance minister said that some critics had alleged the government is bankrupt. "But what does bankruptcy mean?," he said hitting back at the critics. "We are not bankrupt," he asserted adding the World Bank itself commends Bangladesh's economic journey.
And yet, the critics are behaving as if "the World Bank does not understand anything", and rather the Bangladeshi critics "understand everything," he quipped angrily.
“Look at it and try to understand it. This budget is a people-friendly budget. If there is a problem with something there is a possibility to reconsider,” he opined.
State Minister of Commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu, representative of United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization appointed in Bangladesh Dr Jiaoqun Shi, former state minister for planning Shamsul Alam, Agriculture Marketing expert Dr. Muhammad Jahangir Alam, Sajjadul Hasan MP, among others, also spoke in the seminar.
