Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) organised আগামী জাতীয় বাজেট ও টাঙ্গাইল জেলার প্রত্যাশা at BURO Bangladesh Auditorium, Tangail on Saturday, 14 March 2015.
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Published in New Age
District budget should reflect local demands: CPD dialogue
Staff Correspondent
The government should improve the methods of formulating district budget in line with the demands of local people, economists and experts said in a dialogue on Saturday.
At the dialogue on the next national budget and expectation of Tangail district, they said the district budget was yet to bring any desired impact in development at local level though it was a good tool to ensure development in the districts.
Independent think-tank Centre for Policy Dialogue organised the dialogue at BURO Bangladesh auditorium in Tangail.
CPD distinguished fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya, who was moderator of the dialogue, said the government should strengthen the structure of the local government to mobilise resources from the local government areas.
Local government financing commission is essential to ensure quality of public expenditure, he said.
Debapriya also emphasised on reviewing the legal framework and function of the district council to ensure implementation of the district budget.
He said the district budget needed clear outline for revenue generation from district level and the government should make sure that tax and value-added tax were duly paid locally.
CPD executive director Mustafizur Rahman said the policymakers could get ideas from the dialogue on formulating better district budget reflecting the demands of local people.
More than 50 people from different sectors took part in the open discussion, underscoring the local requirements and lapses in budgetary allocation for Tangail.
They also suggested for ensuring decentralisation of district budget and strengthening district council, improving local roads, railway and highway communication to the capital, facilitating conveyance of Tangail’s thriving poultry sector, setting up cold storage to preserve local produce particularly pineapples and industrialisation without hampering agricultural land in Tangail.
Former ambassador Anwarul Islam Khan, Tangail district administrator Fazlur Rahman Khan Faruk, educationists Sekender Hayat and Mirza Mohammad Abdul Momen, and CPD research fellow Towfiqul Islam Khan, among others, spoke at the dialogue.
Published in The Daily Star
District budget should reflect local demands
Speakers say at CPD-organised discussion in Tangail
Star Business Desk
The government should improve the method of formulating the district budget to reflect the demands of local people and deliver the desired outcomes, experts said yesterday.
“The legal framework and function of the district council should be reviewed to ensure adequate implementation of district budget. The structure of local government needs to be strengthened to mobilise local funds,” said Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
Bhattacharya spoke at a pre-budget discussion at BURO Bangladesh’s auditorium in Tangail, CPD said in a statement.
CPD organised the dialogue to highlight demands of the local people to policymakers as well as help the think-tank generate ideas on the best method of budget formulation, said Mustafizur Rahman, executive director of the organisation.
Bhattacharya said there is a need for a local government financing commission to ensure quality of public expenditure, which would determine appropriate financial allocation in line with local demands.
“The district budget needs a clear outline for revenue generation from district level, and the government should make sure that tax and VAT are duly being paid locally. The district budget should particularly address environmental vulnerability, hard-to-reach areas, marginalised people and women and children.”
In his keynote paper, Towfiqul Islam Khan, research fellow of CPD, showed that Tangail excelled in reducing poverty in comparison to national average.
“However, extreme poverty has remained high,” he said. As a district, Tangail mostly received budgetary allocation towards roads and communications while other areas remained relatively unattended, he added.
Bhattacharya, who moderated the discussion, said Tangail’s socio-economic development is rather mixed which is mainly due to the uneven development across different areas within the greater district.
“Policymakers should coordinate closely with the district-level administration to drive effective development measures.”
Over 50 people from different areas participated in the floor discussion, chaired by Educationist Prof Sekender Hayat. They said the district budget is a good tool to ensure local development, but it is yet to deliver the desired impact at the district level.
Participants recommended decentralisation of the district budget and strengthening of the district council; improvement of local roads, markets, railways and highways to better connect them with the capital; facilitation of Tangail’s thriving poultry sector; setting up of cold storages to preserve local produce, particularly pineapple; industrialisation without harming farm land; and involving gender dimension in the district budget.
They also called for facilitating healthcare, particularly for women and children at local level and remote areas, vocational training for a huge population and improved sanitation.
“Lawmakers should place justified demands before the government for their constituencies to make sure that peoples’ lives improve,” said Fazlur Rahman Khan Faruk, district council administrator of Tangail.
Anwarul Islam Khan, a former ambassador, said the quality of education in Tangail has declined and requires more attention.
Prof Mirza Mohammad Abdul Momen, former chairman of economics at Govt Saadat College, proposed that the government should facilitate imports of raw materials for Tangail saris. He also urged the government to provide incentives to the local handicraft sector to help them develop into exportable items.
Published in The Financial Express
CPD dialogue in Tangail
District budget yet to deliver outcome
FE Report
Although the concept of district budget is a good tool to ensure local development, it is yet to deliver its desired outcome.
Discussants at a pre-budget dialogue, organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in Tangail district town, made the observation on Friday, says a press release.
They also opined that the government should revise the methodology of formulating district budget and improve it in accordance with demands of the local people.
Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director of CPD, in his opening remarks said the discussion at district level aims to convey demands of the local people and their reflections on district budget to policymakers.
Towfiqul Islam Khan, Research Fellow of CPD, presented the keynote paper which showed that Tangail had excelled in reducing poverty compared to the national average. But extreme poverty level remained high.
The paper also showed that as a district, Tangail had mostly received budgetary allocation for roads and communication while other areas remained relatively unattended.
Moderator of the dialogue, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow of CPD observed that Tangail’s socio-economic development was rather mixed, mainly due to uneven development across different areas within the greater district.
“Policymakers must have close coordination with the district-level administration to take effective development measures,” he added.
He said the district budget needs a clear outline for revenue generation at the district level and the government should make sure that taxes and VAT are duly paid locally. The district budget should particularly address environmental vulnerability, hard-to-reach areas, marginalised people and women and children.
Chaired by Professor Sekender Hayat, Fazlur Rahman Khan Faruk, Administrator of District Council in Tangail was present as the chief guest. Professor Mirza Mohammad Abdul Momen, former Chairman of Economics in the Government Saadat College attended the dialogue as special guest while Anwarul Alam, a former Ambassador was the guest of honour.
Over 50 people from different fields participated in the floor discussion, highlighting the local requirements and lapses in budgetary allocation for Tangail.
Published in Dhaka Tribune
CPD: District budget vital for ensuring local development
Tribune Report
Speakers at a pre-budget dialogue have termed the “District Budget” an important tool for ensuring local development, putting more focus on the participation by the local people in the budgetary process.
They made the observation at a pre-budget dialogue titled “District Budget” organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) at Bureau Bangladesh Auditorium in Tangail yesterday.
Attending the dialogue, the participants suggested for decentralisation of district budget, strengthening district council, improvement of infrastructural development including railways and highways communication, setting up cold storage to preserve locally produced agricultural products pineapple, building embankment for tackling growing river erosion, and establishing vocational training institute.
They also observed that the government should revise the methodology of formulating district budget and improve it as per the demands of the local people.
The discussion at the district level aimed at conveying demands of the local people and their reflections on district budget to the policymakers, said Professor Mustafizur Rahman, executive director of CPD.
He hoped that the reflections from the grassroots level would also help CPD in generating ideas on how best the budget could be formulated. Policymakers must have close coordination with the district-level administration to drive effective development measures, said Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow of CPD, who moderated the programme.
The legal framework and function of the district council should be reviewed to ensure adequate implementation of the district budget, said Bhattacharya.
“In order to do this, structure of the local government needs to be strengthened to mobilise local funds.”
Bhattacharya also viewed that the district budget needs clear outline for revenue generation from district level and the government should make sure that tax and VAT are duly being paid locally.
The need for a local government financing commission is essential to ensure quality of public expenditures, which would determine appropriate financial allocation according to the local demands, he added.
Speaking as chief guest, Fazlur Rahman Khan Faruk, administrator of Tangail district council, also put emphasis on the importance of more focus on the district budget to address the needs of the local people.
He also felt that parliamentarians should place justified demands before the government for their respective constituencies.
While presenting his keynote paper, Towfiqul Islam Khan, research fellow of CPD, observed that Tangail district excelled in reducing poverty in comparison to the national average.
Published in BSS
People’s involvement in district budget demanded
TANGAIL, March 14, 2015 (BSS) – Speakers at a dialogue today demanded to ensure more involvement and participation of local people in the district budget to gear up the development of the districts.
They also emphasized on the coordination between public representatives, local administration and government during formulation of the district budget.
Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) organized the dialogue on pre-budget and district budget at Bureau Bangladesh auditorium.
Representatives of social, political, NGOs, local bodies and different professions took part at the dialogue. The government has been announcing district budget since two years and Tangail is one of those.
Tangail District Council Administrator and District Awami League general secretary Fazlur Rahman Khan Faruk was present at the dialogue as the chief guest.
Besides, CPD Distinguished Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, CDP Executive Director Mustafizur Rahman, former ambassador Anwarul Alam Shahid and Professor Mirza Abdul Momen, among others, spoke on the occasion.
Professor Sekandar Hayat chaired the dialogue while CPD Research Fellow Towfikul Islam Khan made keynote presentation.