BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has came down heavily on the proposed budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year, calling it a budget “aimed at looting the economy.”“Pay attention to the people’s sufferings and stop plundering public funds,” the former prime minister told the government in her reaction to the latest budget on Thursday. Finance Minister AMA Muhith proposed a Tk4,00,266 crore ambitious national budget with a 7.4% GDP growth target. The budget deficit will be Tk1,12,276 crore or 5% of the GDP, while the revenue collection target has been set at Tk287,990 crore. Khaleda said the budget only reflected the prime minister’s requirements, claiming: “The government will later increase the proposed allocations for different sectors and projects to embezzle public money.”Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the budget would not do the people any good. “If there is a huge deficit in the coming budget, then how much public welfare is actually possible?” he said.

Source: Dhaka Tribune June 02, 2017 03:22 UTC