Parliament approved a supplementary budget of Tk 37.82 billion on Monday to cover increased expenditures for various ministries despite lawmakers’ objections.
Finance Minister AH Mahmood Ali presented the supplementary budget for the outgoing fiscal year 2023-24, alongside the new national budget, on June 6.
The Finance Minister introduced three bills to expedite the passage of the supplementary budget following a general discussion and cut motions.
The original budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year allocated Tk 7.62 trillion for 62 ministries and divisions.
In the supplementary budget, 22 ministries and divisions saw increased expenditures, while 40 remained unchanged or experienced reductions.
A total of 51 grant demands were submitted to allocate funds for different ministries, divisions, and institutions.
Members introduced more than 160 cut motions, mainly from the opposition and independent lawmakers. However, all the motions were overwhelmingly rejected when put to vote.
During discussions, lawmakers criticized the government for failing to restore discipline in the banking sector. Opposition Chief Whip Mujibul Huq Chunnu highlighted that several business groups received unprecedented loan rescheduling facilities, while farmers faced severe penalties for minor defaults.
Chunnu, during his cut motion on the finance division allocation, pointed out the division’s responsibility for supervising the banking sector, stating, “The entire banking sector is now in a mess.”
He cited the case of PK Halder, who allegedly embezzled over Tk 3.5 thousand crore from the banking system.
Debates also occurred on cut motions related to the ICT division.
The supplementary allocations for various ministries and divisions are as follows:
- Agriculture Ministry: Tk 81.57 billion
- Cultural Affairs Ministry: Tk 0.65 billion
- Finance Division: Tk 4.95 billion
- Planning Commission: Tk 126.49 billion
- Labor and Employment Ministry: Tk 0.26 billion
- Information and Broadcasting Ministry: Tk 0.17 billion
- Religious Affairs Ministry: Tk 0.61 billion
- Youth and Sports Ministry: Tk 2.13 billion
- Local Government Division: Tk 21.39 billion
- Mineral Resources Division: Tk 1.84 billion
- Water Resources Ministry: Tk 43.60 billion
- Disaster Management and Relief Ministry: Tk 4.70 billion
- Post and Telecommunications Division: Tk 2.48 billion
- Election Commission: Tk 23.62 billion
- Public Administration Ministry: Tk 5.92 billion
- Comptroller and Auditor General: Tk 0.08 billion
- Economic Relations Division: Tk 51.22 billion
- Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division: Tk 0.67 billion
- Statistics Division: Tk 1.52 billion
- ICT Division: Tk 0.14 billion
The supplementary budget reflects the government’s need to address increased expenditures across multiple sectors, even as it faces criticism for handling financial and administrative issues.
