Star Business Report

A lack of funds is not the problem when it comes to implementing the proposed budget, but rather ensuring vaccination of the population, which can bring back business confidence, said Atiur Rahman, chairman of Unnayan Shamannay, yesterday.

“We should worry less about growth rate, deficit finance and so on, rather, we should give priority on how to vaccinate 60-70 per cent of the population in the quickest possible time,” he said.

He was addressing a virtual press briefing organised by the non-governmental research organisation on the proposed national budget for fiscal 2021-22.

The government should have increased the health sector’s allocation given the ongoing situation of the coronavirus pandemic, he said.

For the upcoming fiscal year, some Tk 33,000 crore has been allocated, which is 5.4 per cent of the overall budget.

But the government should have allocated at least 7 per cent fund of the proposed budget to tackle the Covid-19, Rahman said while presenting a keynote paper titled “How is the Budget for 2021-2022”.

People will be relieved once vaccinated and business confidence will get a boost, he said, adding that this in turn would ensure success of the campaign of economic and social recovery.