Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal today said that there would not be any delay for placing the national budget in parliament for the next fiscal year (FY21) due to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, reports BSS.
“There won’t be any delay (from usual time in June) for placing the next budget in parliament and there is no such provision. National budget is a demand of the constitution and we’ll have to place the next budget in parliament after meeting that demand as per the constitution,” he said in a message circulated to the media today.
The Finance Minister also said, “Without budget, we won’t be able to spend a single penny from the national exchequer.”
Earlier in a Finance Ministry press release, it was said that various stakeholders will be able to give their opinions before finalization of the next budget to make the budget more participatory. The budget is scheduled to be placed in parliament in June.
Kamal said that there are allocations for various ministries and divisions while the government also needs to complete the ongoing projects.
Mentioning the COVID-19 situation, Kamal said the government is not in the same situation that it was earlier at the beginning of the current fiscal year.
“We were better in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, but the next four months ending in June is going to be bad. We’ve set our next path considering the good and bad things as well as striking a balance between them. And in that way, we’ll place our next budget in the parliament, Insha Allah.”
The Finance Minister also urged the countrymen irrespective of their caste and creed to come up with their valuable suggestions and opinions for the next national budget for FY21 through the website of the Finance Division.
He also assured that the opinions and suggestions of the citizens would be considered while formulating the next budget.
“I can give assurance that we’ll read their each and every opinion and I’ve also formed a team to consider those and thus incorporate those in the next budget, which are acceptable,” he said.
The Finance Minister said like the previous years, the government could not go for taking the valuable suggestions and opinions from various stakeholders physically due to COVID-19.
That is why, Kamal said his ministry is using its website to make the budget formulation process more inclusive.
Anyone would be able to give opinion through visiting the (Opinion/Suggestion for Budget 2020-21 Preparation) option of the website of the Finance Division which is http://www.mof.gov.bd.
Besides, anyone from home and abroad will be able to give their opinions and suggestions on the next budget through filling up a form.