Noting that the major challenge for the government will be to implement the ambitious budget, renowned economist Dr Mustafa Kamal Mujeri on Thursday said the government should give more attention towards improving its implementation capacity to have better outcomes.Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Thursday placed a Tk 2,22,491 crore proposed budget for the FY 14 in parliament eyeing a GDP growth of 7.2 percent.
“The budget size is consistent with the present state of the economy and its demands,” Dr Mujeri, also the director general of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), told UNB in his reaction to the budget.
But, he said, the proposed budget is of political nature as the Finance Minister had been saying over the last couple of days. “The budget also highlighted some ambitious features and targets.”
Asked about the possibility of attaining the targeted GDP growth of 7.2 percent, Mujeri said the country should achieve the GDP growth rate of 8 percent by FY 15 as per the Sixth Five Year Plan (SFYP).
But, the present growth trend over the last few years indicates that it would be tough to achieve the rate in the current year considering the election year coupled with political unrest.
“We’ll have to raise the present growth trend of just over 6 percent to have a much better rate in the next fiscal although it would be difficult in the election year,” he added.
Replying to another question, the BIDS Director General said the government should have to improve its overall implementation capacity and efficiency through brining qualitative change to this end.
Asked about the provision for whitening black money proposed in buying flats and plots by giving fine, he said the provision may not result in much in terms of more earnings as seen in the past. (Source: UNB)
