Parliament passes national budget for FY25

The parliament on Sunday passed the Tk7,97,000 crore national budget for FY25 setting the goal of economic growth at 6.75% and keeping annual inflation at around 6%.

Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali moved the Appropriations Bill 2024, seeking a budgetary allocation of Tk12,41,752 crore which was passed by voice votes.

On Saturday, the parliament passed the Finance Bill 2024 with some minor changes.

Following the proposal mooted in the House by the Finance Ministry for the parliamentary approval of the appropriation of funds for meeting necessary development and non-development expenditures of the government, the ministers concerned placed justifications for the expenditure by their respective ministries through 59 demands for grants.

Earlier, the parliament rejected, by voice votes, a total of only 251 cut-motions that stood in the name of opposition members on 59 demands for grants for different ministries.

A total of seven MPs, including from Jatiya Party Mujibul Huq, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, and Independent MP Pankaj Nath, Md Hamidul Haque Khandker, Md Abul Kalam, Md Suhrab Uddin, and Md Nasser Shahrear Zahedee placed the cut motions.

They were, however, allowed to participate in the discussion on Law Ministry, Secondary and Higher Studies Division and Social Welfare Ministry.

Later, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury quickened the process of passing the demands for grants for different ministries without giving a lunch break.

Opposition and independent MPs were present in the House when the Appropriation Bill was passed, and they did not raise objection to passing the bill.

Source: UNB