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Where does all the money go?

Saifur slams wasteful spending in roads, education

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman yesterday came down hard on squanderer of public money in education and communication sectors.
He said huge amounts are spent in these sectors, but a chunk of them simply goes to invisible hands.
"Money will be no problem for the next budget, as Shaheed President Zia used to say," Saifur told lawmakers in a pre-budget meeting at the conference room of
the National Economic Council. "But we have to make good use of the money. You have to play your watchdog role to ensure proper utilisation of fund."
"It now costs Tk 10 crore to build one mile of road which should cost Tk 2 crore to Tk 3 crore. Where does the excess money go?"
Saifur said government contribution to non-governmental schools has more than tripled from Tk 550 crore in early 1990s to Tk 1,700 crore now.
But he pointed out that none of the students in 1,000 such schools
could pass in board exams in the last three years.
"None passed in history. So, should we keep the history teacher?"
Saifur also said the health sector is also in a sorry state due to fund misappropriation and the lawmakers have to look after such things.
He said the government will go for an expansionary policy in the next budget because of an IMF loan-induced bloated annual development programme (ADP). The government took a miserly stance last year as the Awami League government 'left the economy in a mess'.
"We will get a lot of funds from the donors and the economy is now in a much better situation," Saifur told
Twenty-nine lawmakers including 27 from the government and two from the Jatiya Party Raushan Ershad and GM Kader took part in the meeting. None of the Awami League (AL) lawmakers attended it.
However, Kazi Zafarullah, presidium member of the AL, came to the venue before Saifur turned up and left it after some time.
Saifur was reportedly a bit annoyed with the thin presence of lawmakers. He told them to come up with their proposals, if any, before May 26 to be considered for the next year's budget.
The lawmakers said agriculture should get the highest priority in the budget and sought farm subsidy.
They also said the law and order should be strengthened and asked the finance ministry not to slap any new tax.
Saifur said this year's ADP suffered due to low implementation capacity of the ministries.
He quoted letters from the chiefs of the World Bank and IMF saying that if the current economic situation continues, Bangladesh would see high growth by 2006,
He said the next fiscal's ADP would be around Tk 20,000 crore to Tk 21,000 crore and it would be increased to Tk 23,000 in the following fiscal.