Bangladesh News

Social safety net, subsidy, salary hike under the new pay scale and public-private partnership (PPP) initiative would require more than Tk 30,000 crore in the national budget for the next fiscal year (FY).

Of the amount, Tk 17,300 crore has been kept for social safety net programme in the next budget, compared to Tk 13,800 crore in the revised budget for the current FY, sources said.

Besides, Tk 3,500 crore is being set aside for pay hike of the government employees, Tk 2,500 crore for the PPP initiative and Tk 20 crore for national service pilot project.

In the social safety net programme, allocation would be increased substantially for all categories.

The size of the next budget may be Tk 1,13,815 crore while that of the revised budget for this FY is Tk 94,140 crore.

The amount of farm subsidy in the next FY is likely to be Tk 3,800 crore to Tk 4,000 crore compared to Tk 4,285 crore in the current budget. Subsidy for power and food may be Tk 2400 crore.

Export subsidy would be Tk 1,800 crore in the next budget, which is Tk 1,050 crore in the current budget. In the revised budget for this FY, the amount may be Tk 1,500 crore, it is gathered.

In the next budget, Tk 2,100 crore of the allocation for PPP initiative, would be for loan and equity participation in PPP project.

A Tk 300 crore fund would be kept for subsidy to any project which is risky but essential. Another Tk 100 crore would be kept for study of PPP project.

When the finance minister places the budget in the Jatiya Sangsad tomorrow, he will also release a position paper on the PPP initiative.

A 100-day employment generation programme would be allocated Tk 1,200 crore in the next budget. It will be implemented in those districts where poverty rate is above 40 per cent.

In the current budget, allocation for a similar programme is Tk 2,000 crore.

In the next budget, the programme targets providing employment to 70,000 to 80,000 people, and each of them would be paid Tk 120 a day. This year rate of payment is Tk 100 per day.

The programme for next FY would not however be limited to 100-days, Rather, employment would be provided as long as the persons concerned need.

The government is going to introduce national service for HSC-passed unemployed youths in two upazilas as a pilot project in the next FY.

Sources said the government would implement in the next FY the pay commission recommendation on basic salaries. There are two probabilities regarding this — to implement it from July 1 or to make it effective from July 1 with actual payment beginning in October.