The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Political leaders, economists and experts at a roundtable on Sunday stressed the need for setting up more agro-based industries to create employment to fight against poverty.

They also emphasized on strengthening the country's local government institutions to remove poverty through implementation of village plans in rural areas.

"The village plans have to be created. The local government has to take the responsibility of formulating the village plans," Prof Mozaffar Ahmed, an eminent economists and Chairman of Transparency International, Bangladesh, said.

The roundtable on 'Poverty, Inequality and National Budget' was organized by Hunger-project, Bangladesh at the CIRDAP auditorium.

He said an effective local government system is necessary to implement the development budget. "The central government has to provide necessary revenues to the local government institutions proportionate to their levels."

Prof Ahmed said the country's water bodies including rivers, canals and beels should be rescued from land grabbers and properly utilized for agro-based development.

Sugar is produced in the field not in the factory, he pointed out, adding that sugarcane and jute production should be increased in the country as the markets for these products have increased in the world.

The TIB Chairman urged the country's businessmen and entrepreneurs to pay their taxes regularly to help increase the government revenues.

There are some 33,000 millionaires in the country and they should be asked if they pay the taxes or not, he said.

He urged the government to take account of the funds of the fugitive politicians and businessmen who are living abroad with their family members by paying through Bangladeshi currency to ascertain the exact figure of Gross National Income.

Mozaffar Ahmed said a national health insurance system should be introduced in the country to remove the health disparity between rural and urban people through ensuring the social security.

Former Member of Parliaments Dr Abdur Razzak and GM Kader, Country Director of Hunger project, Bangladesh Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, FBCCI member Jamal Uddin, President of Samajik Andolon Ajoy Roy and former Vice President of Bangladesh Economic Association Prof Hanna Begum, among others, spoke on the occasion.

Describing the proposed budget as unrealistic Dr Abdur Razzak said the government has tried to please the people but eventually there is a doubt among people as to how it would benefit them.

Dr Razzak, an Awami League leader, stressed the need for taking proper initiatives for establishing agro-based industries with allocation of adequate funds for that. Jute and sugar industries can never be losing sectors in the country, he added.

GM Kader, Jatiya Party leader, said the budget should be implemented properly so that the poor classes can get their proportionate share. He also suggested a review of the budget every six-month.

He said there is a big challenge for Bangladesh to put in place a stable economy. "The political situation will not be stable if the economic condition remains unstable."

Dr Badiul Alam Majumder presented a keynote paper at the roundtable where he said poverty might increase in the country unless inflation is kept at a tolerable level.