Attorney General (AG) Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal believes that preventing waste and ensuring good governance are more important than increasing the size of the national budget, reports bdnews24.com.
Speaking to the media at his office on Thursday, he said: "If 20 per cent or 30 per cent of a very large budget is siphoned off for one reason or another, then no matter how large the budget is, it serves little purpose."
He shared his views on the budget, anti-corruption efforts, and examples of frugality and integrity from his own office.
"The allocations made under the budget should be used honestly and only to the extent necessary by the respective departments," he said.
Referring to budget constraints facing the Attorney General's Office, Kazal said: "I myself experience the limitations of our office budget every day. Many expenses of the Attorney General's Office, including litigation costs, are often borne personally by our law officers. Even so, we continue to work in the interest of the state."
He also criticised the longstanding government practice of rushing to spend funds at the end of the fiscal year under what is commonly known as the 'June closing', and cited an example from his own office.
"When the government allocates funds, they are earmarked under different expenditure heads. We have a budget allocation for furniture purchases. The budget closes after June 30, meaning that any allocated funds must be spent by then; otherwise, the allocation lapses."
Quoting officials from his office, he said: "Some officials told me, 'Sir, if we do not spend this money by June 30, the allocation will lapse and be returned'. So what if it does? Should I spend public money unnecessarily on furniture simply because the allocation would otherwise be returned? We are returning Tk 1.9 million. Legally, we could have spent that amount in various ways if we wished. But I do not see any need at present to purchase furniture worth Tk 1.9 million for this office."
The attorney general also recounted an instance where he personally negotiated the price of office furniture down to prevent waste of public funds.
