Budget sparks mixed reaction

The national budget for fiscal 2009-10 has sparked mixed reaction with one group of politicians, businessmen and economists hailing the budget as pro-people and some others specially the opposition groups criticizing it as anti-people.

Expressing reaction on budget, different groups of people said that the countrymen were waiting with eagerness to see such a budget under a democratic government for long through which the country's overall development and sufferings of people will be reduced although some others termed the country's 39th budget "tremendous" for huge amount of loans and "adventurous" for targeting large revenue earnings and said that if the government fails to collect revenue targeted for fiscal 2009-10, the country's economy will face serious setback.

Talking to this correspondent about budget, Professor Muzaffer Ahmed said that he waits to see the effectiveness of budget on the country's economy and its people. "I will make comment on the budget later. However, the system of the government to turn black money into white will not be able to shrink black money because as many as Tk 70,000 crore is being produced in the country every year."

Economist Professor Abu Ahmed said that it is the country's biggest budget. If the government is able to manage the budget as per plan it will bring good result to the country. Otherwise, load of loan of the government will be heavier and country's economy may face instability.Abu Ahmed said the budget usually boosts up the country's economy.

Moreover, black money owners will be benefited instead of common people through making black money white. BNP Standing Committee member Lieutenant General Mahbubur Rahman (Retd) said that the government has approved a big budget for reaping its own interest. "A tremendous load of loan has been imposed on the shoulder of the country and its people by the biggest budget, nothing else."The government should be congratulated by the people for making such a budget with a view to paving the path of development of the country removing different crises. No government has been bold enough to approve such a big budget except this democratic government.

Besides, the government will have to fulfill pledges given to people during electioneering, said Azizul Haque, a real estate businessman.A good number of common people working at different sectors in the city said that the government must keep prices of essentials reasonable and also meet their demand. "I came to know through TV that food security for the poor would be ensured by this budget. Besides, prices of essential commodities were under control during the last tenure of Awami League government," said Moslehuddin, a rickshaw puller while talking to this correspondent yesterday