Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in partnership with the DT Global has implemented Budget Helpdesk 2023 under the Technical Assistance (TA) of the European Union (EU) in Bangladesh for the Parliamentarians. This is the second time CPD has arranged Budget Helpdesk which played a crucial role during the budget session FY2023–24. The Budget Helpdesk provided data and knowledge support to the Members of Parliament (MPs) during the budget session. This year the Budget Helpdesk-related activities were implemented during May-June 2023.
As a part of this initiative following activities were carried out:
a) Orientation session for the staff of Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat (BPS), National Board of Revenue (NBR), and CPD who were involved in the operation of the Budget Helpdesk
b) A training session for personal assistants (PAs) to MPs was arranged to make them better aware of the Budget Helpdesk
c) Eight debriefing sessions for the MPs on different macroeconomic fiscal and budgetary issues
d) Publication of nine sector-wise budget briefs (Bangla and English)
The most important initiative of the Budget Helpdesk was data and information support for the MPs during the budget session. This year, the senior MPs and MPs of the reserved seats have taken support from the Helpdesk. The officials of the BPS, NBR, and CPD extended their support in answering the queries raised by MPs regarding the budget session.
Orientation Session
To equip research officers and secretarial officials with enhanced analytical knowledge of the budgetary process, a day-long orientation session was held at the Institute of Public Finance (IPF) on 28 May 2023. The orientation consisted of two sessions moderated by Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Key Expert 4, PFM and Research Director of CPD. It aimed to ensure better coordination among staff from different entities involved in the Budget Helpdesk activities. The attendees included officials from BPS, NBR, and research officers responsible for Budget Helpdesk activities. The session covered topics such as ‘National Budget of Bangladesh Basic Concepts’ and ‘Sources of Budget Data’, with hands-on exercises on ‘Analysis of Budget Data’.
Training for Personal Assistants (PAs)
A training session was organised for the PAs of MPs to familiarise them with the Budget Helpdesk’s operations before the budget sessions on May 29, 2023. The training aimed to ensure that PAs were well-informed about how to submit requests from MPs related to budget issues and address budget concerns.
Inaugural Session
The Budget Helpdesk 2023 was inaugurated by Honourable Speaker of the Bangladesh National Parliament, Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, MP on 31 May 2023. Honourable Speaker has emphasised the significant role of the Budget Helpdesk in addressing diverse budget-related queries of parliamentarians. The inaugural session was also attended by Honourable Deputy Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament, Mr Shamsul Haque Tuku, MP; Honourable Chief Whip of the Bangladesh Parliament, Mr Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury, MP; Senior Secretary of the Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat, Mr K.M. Abdus Salam, the Head of Delegation of the European Union Delegation (EUD) to Bangladesh, Mr H.E Charles Whiteley, MPs and representatives from the EUD to Bangladesh.
Budget Helpdesk
The Helpdesk had four desks catering to different service providers — external research assistants, research assistants from the Parliament Library, officials from the NBR, and officials from Budget Analysis and Monitoring Unit (BAMU). The Helpdesk was operational from May 31, 2023, to June 26, 2023, and received queries from a total of 54 MPs.
Debriefing sessions
Eight debriefing sessions were arranged to empower MPs through capacity building and knowledge sharing related to the budgetary process. The debriefing sessions were arranged over four consecutive days, from 4th June to 7th June 2023. Each day featured two sessions, covering a diverse range of topics related to the country’s budgetary process. The topics covered during the sessions included monetary and fiscal policy, budget management, budget preparation, and addressing income inequality. The debriefing sessions were conducted by high-ranking government officials and esteemed experts, ensuring that MPs received valuable insights and expertise on the subjects.
Debriefing Session 1 & 2 (June 4, 2023)
In the Debriefing Session one titled ‘Bangladesh’s strive to achieve the SDGs by 2030’, Mr Abul Kalam Azad, Former Principal Coordinator of SDG Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office, underscored Bangladesh’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the year 2030.
The second session titled ‘Macroeconomic performance of Bangladesh Economy during FY2023: Challenges and opportunities of domestic resource mobilisation’ featured a lecture by Professor Shamsul Alam, Hon’ble State Minister of the Ministry of Planning. He discussed the macroeconomic performance of the Bangladesh economy during the fiscal year 2023 and emphasised the key features of major macroeconomic policy documents in Bangladesh, with a particular focus on fiscal and monetary management.
Debriefing Session 3 & 4 (June 5, 2023)
‘Medium-term Budgetary Framework (MTBF) and its Implication on Annual Budget’ was the third debriefing session which was conducted by Ms Fatima Yasmin, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Finance. She discussed the fundamental concepts of MTBF, the current economic situation, and the context for formulating budget proposals for the FY 2023-24.
Mr Abdur Rouf Talukder, Governor of Bangladesh Bank, conducted the fourth session titled ‘Strengthening Fiscal and Monetary Policy: How IMF loan could play a role?’ and emphasised the enhancement of monetary and fiscal coordination in Bangladesh and their impact on the economy. The discussion also explored the potential role of an IMF loan in strengthening these policies.
Debriefing Session 5 & 6 (June 6, 2023)
Focusing on the era of digital payment methods, the fifth session titled ‘Towards cashless digital transaction system’ was conducted by Mr Tanvir A Mishuk, Founder & Managing Director of Nagad. His presentation was highly interactive and garnered significant attention from the attending MPs.
Mr Junayed Ahmed Palak, MP, Hon’ble State Minister of the Ministry of ICT, discussed the transformation of Bangladesh into a smart nation in the sixth session titled ‘Transforming digital to smart Bangladesh: Case of EDGE’.
Debriefing Session 7 & 8 (June 7, 2023)
The debriefing sessions seven and eight marked the conclusion of a four-day series of sessions organised for the MPs. Mr Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Former Cabinet Secretary and Professor from BIGD, delivered a lecture on ‘Addressing Income Inequality in Bangladesh: Fiscal and Budgetary Measures’.
The last session was conducted by Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Chairman of Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and Dhaka School of Economics, University of Dhaka. His lecture focused on ‘Climate Change and Disaster Management: National and International Initiatives’.
Publications
The Budget Helpdesk also published nine policy briefs covering the comprehensive overview of the overall budget for the fiscal year 2023–2024 and specific sectors such as Agriculture, Health, Education, Power and Energy, Roads and Transport, Women and Children Affairs, Information and Communication Technology, and Local Government and Rural Development.
Impact of Budget Helpdesk
The impact of the Budget Helpdesk was evident as information and data support from the Helpdesk found its way into the speeches of MPs during the budget session. Many MPs repeatedly sought assistance from the Helpdesk, indicating its usefulness in engaging in the budget debates. The MPs’ engagement and the quality of budget discussions were significantly improved. Through capacity building, provision of relevant information, and comprehensive assistance, the Helpdesk contributed significantly to facilitating informed budget discussions and effective financial management in Bangladesh.