Tk2,463cr Chattogram City budget for fiscal 2021-22

Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) has announced a budget of Tk2,463.96 crore for the 2021-22 financial year.

CCC Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury announced the budget at the Theater Institute auditorium in the port city on Sunday afternoon.

This is the mayor's first budget since he was elected on 28 January.

At the time, the mayor also announced a revised budget of Tk1,001,36 crore for the 2020-21 fiscal year. The proposed budget for fiscal 2020-21 was Tk2,435.30 crore. In other words, the budget implementation rate in the current financial year is 41%.

In the budget announced for the next financial year, development grants account for a major portion of the budget money. The grant money has been estimated at Tk1,570 crore while the city's own income is to provide Tk852 crore.

In the proposed budget, around Tk533.93 crore has been estimated as total income from three types of taxes. The highest income of Tk218.15 crore would come from tax arrears and other taxes imposed by the corporation. An income of Tk183.76 crore has been estimated from the current tax and excise sector, while an estimated income of Tk132.02 crore would come from various other taxes.

A large part, Tk834 crore, of this year's budget will be spent on paying off arrears while Tk882 crore will be spent for different development projects. Expenditure on salaries, allowances, management, and maintenance, has been estimated at Tk740 crore.

At the budget session, Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury hoped  the city corporation's own sources of income will increase during his tenure.

"The process of revenue collection will be streamlined further, so that city dwellers feel encouraged to pay taxes. No tax, including home property taxes, will be unreasonable for residents of the port city. Any decision regarding taxes will be made upon consultation with everyone.

Councilor Md Ismail presented the budget statement at the budget session presided over by Chief Executive Officer of CCC, Mohammad Shahidul Alam. Among others, the session was also attended by Panel Mayors Abdus Sabur, Gias Uddin, and Afroza Kalam, CCC Secretary Khaled Mahmud, Chief Revenue Officer Nazrul Islam, Chief Engineer Rafiqul Islam, Additional Chief Accounting Officer Humayun Kabir, and various ward councillors.