The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Treasury bench members on Monday praised the budget proposed for next fiscal year saying the new fiscal document has created a new vision for further development in the overall national economy.

However, most of them opposed the proposal for 10 percent tax for whitening black money and suggested 30 percent tax to legalise the illegally earned money.

Taking part in the general discussion on the proposed national budget for 2009-2010 fiscal year in the Jatiya Sangsad, they said the time limit for whitening the black money should not be more than one year.

"Probably it is for the first time our Finance Minister has announced a budget with no praise for World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), said Rashed Khan Menon (Dhaka- 10) in the House continued the discussion for the forth day in the absence of the oppositions.

He said the black money whitening proposal is contrary to the election manifesto of Bangladesh Awami League as the party in power pledged for taking stern action against amassing wealth through corruption and confiscating these illegal wealth.

"Back money is the source of all social vandalism", he said adding the proposal of the Finance Minister for whitening the black money is just like a drop of venom into a bowl of pure milk.

However, treasury bench member Dr Matiur Rahman (Tangail-3) said the Finance Minister's proposal for whitening the black money has a very practical reason but he suggested at least 30 percent tax for purifying such illegally earned money.

He also proposed increased allocation for bringing more educational institutions under the Monthly Payment Order (MPO).

Mohammad Enamul Huq (Chapainawabganj-1) said the budget is not ambitious, but it has truly reflected the hopes and aspirations of the people in materialising the dream of Bangabandhu to ensure right to food and right to clothes. He proposed 20 percent more supplementary duty on imported mango in the budget.

Kamal Ahmed Majumder (Dhaka 10) blasted the four-party alliance for, what he said, resorting to a reign of terror across the country, attempting on the life of Sheikh Hasina, killing former Finance Minister SAMS Kibria and destroying the electoral process and all democratic institutions in the country.

He demanded elimination of corruption from the tax department to allow people to submit the tax without any hurdle and harassment and review the cases filed against taxpayers by the NBR during the last two years.

Rashed Khan Menon said the budget has a proposal of forming a pay commission for government officials and employees but no wage commission for the working class people. He also called for eliminating inconsistency in the pay commission.

He said the budget also proposed creation of job opportunities in the country through various social safety programmes. But people are deprived of benefit of the social safety net programme due to corruption, he said.

Menon said the objectives of the present government would not be achieved unless a radical land reform and a decision for distribution of land among the poor were taken to ensure their rights on land.

Urging the government for taking steps to allow the farmers to get fair price of their products, he said middlemen are eating up the vitals of the 'minimum prices for products' announced by the government. He also proposed introduction of rationing system for the poor people.

Expressing his utter frustration on continuous load shedding, Menon said people see no hope in this field. He called for taking immediate steps for making a welfare-oriented energy policy for exploration and use of reserved gas and coal.

He called for constituting an all-party committee to deal with the India's Tipaimukh project as he said the Tipaimukh project would destroy the water recourses, ecology and bio- diversity of Bangladesh.

Among others, Prof. Dr MA Mannan (Kishoreganj-2), Anisul Islam Mondol (Rangpur-2), Meher Afroz Chumki (Gazipur-5), Major General Abdus Salam (retd)(Mymensingh-9), Dr Mohammad Anwar Hossain (Pirojpur-3), AKM Rahmatullah (Dhaka- 10), Sadhan Chandra Majumder (Nagoan-1), Nur- e-Hasana Lili Chowdhury (JP), Chemon Ara Begum (AL), Salma Islam (JP) and Amina Ahmed(AL)took part in the discussion.