News Desk: Both life and livelihood are being given priority in the next budget. Just as there are initiatives to save lives from the coronavirus epidemic, there are also incentives to protect livelihoods. For this, the budget speech of the Finance Minister for the next 2021-22 financial year has been titled ‘Priority of Livelihood and Bangladesh of the Future’. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal will present the budget in Parliament on June 3. The budget session of the National Assembly will begin on June 2.
In a special meeting on Tuesday, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal briefed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the budget plan for the next financial year. There were four possible titles to the budget speech. The meeting chose ‘Priority of Livelihood and Future of Bangladesh’ as the title of the budget speech.
It is known that special importance is being given to the health sector to save lives. More than Tk 17,000 crore is being allocated for development activities in the health sector. Coronavirus vaccines are being allocated for purchase, vaccination, management and storage. The government wants to vaccinate 10 crore people in the next financial year. All in all, the allocation in the health sector is being increased a lot. On the other hand, there is an initiative to increase agricultural and industrial production and to continue the activities in the service sector to keep the livelihood. Helpless, distressed people are being brought under the social security program.
The government will provide cash assistance to transport workers: The government will provide cash assistance of Tk 2,500 to the road and water transport sector workers who have become unemployed in the ongoing lockdown to prevent the spread of corona. For this, the finance ministry has asked the deputy commissioners for a list of transport workers.
A Finance Ministry official said launch operations, including long-distance public transport, have been suspended since the start of the ongoing lockdown. As a result, the income of drivers, helpers and supervisors working in these vehicles has been blocked. Considering the overall situation, it has been decided to provide cash assistance to the transport workers of road and shipping sector.
Last year and this year, 35 lakh jobless poor have been given cash assistance of Tk 2,500 as Eid gift by the Prime Minister. Transport workers are also among the 35 lakh. A list of the remaining transport workers has been sought from the deputy commissioners. After receiving the list, this assistance will be given through mobile banking.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the total number of workers in the country’s road transport sector is 31 lakh 78 thousand. Of these, the number of workers in passenger transport is 28 lakh 57 thousand. The number of employees in different types of passenger buses is 2 lakh 26 thousand. The rest are workers of tempo, autorickshaw, ridesharing, rickshaw, van, Nachimon-Karimon, rent-a-car and taxi cab. The number of passenger transport in the maritime sector is one lakh 74 thousand. There are 3 lakh 3 thousand working workers.
Offer of cash assistance to non-MPO teachers:
Finance department officials said that the finance ministry has sent a proposal to provide cash assistance to non-MPO teachers and employees for the approval of the Prime Minister. Cash assistance of Rs 5,000 has been offered to each teacher and Rs 2,500 to each employee.
According to the Finance Department, the number of non-MPO teachers and staff listed in Banbase is one lakh 70 thousand, for whom the government will have to spend Tk 75 crore.
There is a proposal to spend Rs 10,000 crore from the bulk allocation to deal with covid. These teachers and staff received the same rate of assistance during the lockdown last year. At that time, the assistance was provided from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
