ASM Abdur Rab president of his faction of JSD on Monday described the national budget for the next fiscal presented by the Awami League-led government as neither pro people nor does it reflect its political vision.
Giving his party's reaction on the proposed budget at a news conference he said lacking steps to keep inflation under check it could be difficult to achieve economic growth the budget promises.
He said the proposed budget is not conducive for economic growth because it proposes to create liquidity shortage by its dependence on borrowing from the banks for its implementation.
He said that it is bound to create liquidity shortage for investment.
He called for revising the budget taking the suggestions of JSD into consideration.
In a paper presented at the news conference JSD called upon the government to set up a new national economic council comprising, among others, representatives of local government, workers and professional associations for making the budget.
Now, Rab said, there is no people's participation with the budget making process.
He said in last two years the government failed to materialise its election pledges or what it had set out in vision paper.
He said that the Awami League led government already forgot that it had pledged that by 2011 it would ensure potable water supply to all citizens, 100 per cent enrolment in primary schools and raise power generation to 5,000 MW.
He said law and order fell to the lowest level since the Awami League led government returned to power though it had pledge to improve law and order.
He said that this government completely failed to tackle socio-economic problems.
He said that citizens are getting killed almost daily and human rights are violated with impunity.
He said that this government can claim success in no sector including, education, health and agriculture.
He said that by proposing to slash farm subsidy the government's plan to achieve self sufficiency in food would be difficult to achieve.
The party paper read out by general secretary Abdul Malek Ratan calls for increasing national income four folds for raising per capita income to $ 2,000 by 2020.
The paper called for setting up of a Social Assessment Committee for increasing revenue collection from internal sources and for a participatory and decentralised governance system for making and implementation of development plans.
JSD called for increasing budgetary allocation to education and human development sector to four per cent of GDP.
Source : New Age
