Call to prepare people's participatory budget
Speakers underlined the need for preparing people's participatory national budget for reflecting the hopes and aspirations of the people in general.
They said making the budgeting process decentralised could be the effective means of attaining the goal of a democratic budget.
They were addressing a regional workshop titled “Budget decentralisation” jointly organised by Democratic Budget Movement (DBM) and ActionAid Bangladesh at the conference hall of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
DBM member Foyzullah Chowdhury gave an overview of the workshop highlighting various aspects of the democratic budget while DBM activist Monwar Mostofa presented a concept paper on the budgeting process and its implementation.
Lawmaker Omar Faruque Chowdhury addressing the programme as the chief guest emphasised the need for identifying the local needs through proper assessment everywhere in the region and brings those under budgetary allocation for the sake of reducing its disparity.
He said some vital sectors of the region like setting up an agro-based export processing zone, the proposed North Rajshahi Irrigation Project and natural gas supply should be brought under the budgetary allocation.
Besides, he called for giving top priority to infrastructure development, creation of investment-friendly atmosphere and availability of business related support in the forthcoming national budget to support different industries in the region.
In this regard, he said the budget should be pro-people and welfare-oriented to bring economic solvency of the people.
Faruque said enhanced priority to trade and industrial sector could be the effective way toward accelerating the region's economic growth.
With Editor of the Daily Sonar Desh Prof Fazlul Haque in the chair,
Prof Noman of Economics Department of Rajshahi University, Additional Chief Medical Officer of RU Dr FMA Zahid, political leaders Abul Kalam Azad, Shafiqur Rahman and Mosaddeque Hossain and businessman Sekendar Ali spoke as panel discussants.
Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh Farah Kabir moderated the discussion.
Taking part in the open discussion most of the speakers underscored the need for strengthening the local government institutions for the sake of bringing the grassroots people under all the nation-building process.
They also stressed ensuring transparency and accountability in the budget implementation sector so that the people could derive total benefits of the development budget.
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