Budget size not praiseworthy compared to GDP: Speakers

The size of the proposed budget is not praiseworthy when compared to the GDP, and Bangladesh must focus more on revenue generation to boost the tax-GDP ratio.

Speakers made the remark on Saturday at a webinar titled "Post Budget Analysis FY 2021-22," adding that Bangladesh will have to battle the pandemic with the proposed budgetary allocation, but it is not very adequate for a number of much-discussed sectors.

Reducing the income inequality persisting in the country's economy is possible through decent tax management, they said at the event organised by the Economics Department of Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University (MBSTU).

Panelists further pointed out that good governance is a must in order to implement the proposed budget within the prescribed time, and people with more capacity are now seriously required to implement the whole allocation properly.

Social Science faculty's dean and economics department Chairman Dr Md Nazmus Sadekin presided over the session, while assistant professor of the same department Kazi Mezbah Uddin Ahamad moderated the webinar.

Policy Research Institute ( PRI) Executive Director Dr Ahsan H Mansur; Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Senior Research Fellow Towfiqul Islam Khan; Associate Professor of Economics of International Islamic university Malaysia Dr Rafia Afroz; Professor of Agribusiness and Marketing Department of Bangladesh Agricultural University ( BAU), Mymensingh Dr Mohammad Jahangir Alam; BAU professor of Agricultural Economics Dr Ismat Ara Begum, and economic analysts Md Mazadul Hoque and Mamun Rashid spoke in the programme.

MBSTU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Md Alauddin participated at the event as chief guest, while Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Dr ARM Solaiman joined as special guest among others.