Digital platforms launched to connect people, budget-makers

Unnayan Shamannay (UnSy), a local think tank, on Sunday launched 'Digital Budget Information Helpdesk' to enhance connectivity between people and lawmakers for better implementation of the national budget.
The organisation also unveiled a website named 'Amader Shangshad' (Our Parliament) where voters can place their budget-related demands and suggestions to their respective parliament members.
The helpdesk and the website were formally inaugurated by former minister of information and current chairman of the Parliamen-tary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Information Hasanul Haq Inu at a virtual programme organised by UnSy.
Presided over by UnSy Chairman and former governor of Bangladesh Bank Professor Dr Atiur Rahman, UnSy project coordinator Zahid Rahman moderated the event while its emeritus fellow Khondoker Shakhawat Ali delivered the closing remarks.
In his speech, Mr Inu said apart from general people, the lawmakers were also interested to know whether the budgets were aligned with the national macroeconomic aspirations.
Emphasising the importance of interactions between voters and the parliamentarians, he said it was very appreciable that the UnSy had launched the helpdesk which would enable not only the lawmakers to understand people's perspective but also the voters to express their views about the national budget.
He hoped that the UnSy would smoothly provide data and research support to track crucial issues of the budget through the digital helpdesk.
Meanwhile, Dr Atiur pointed out that the budget for the next fiscal year was going to be proposed given the circumstances of global financial turbulence caused by the Russia-Ukraine war while the shocks of the coronavirus pandemic still persisted.
There is a pressure on the government from its stakeholders to prepare a contractionary fiscal policy in the context of the national macroeconomic situation caused by the geopolitical turmoil, he said.
The stakeholders are looking forward to a balanced national budget which will meet demands of all sectors, he said, adding that the digital budget information helpdesk could assist the lawmakers in this regard to understand people's perspective about the next budget.