Govt eyes bigger child budget

The area of child budget is set to be expanded from the next fiscal year as the government in its latest move has planned to bring two more ministries under the coverage of financing facility for children, officials said.
As part of the move, the government is considering providing financial allocation to its ministry of disaster management and relief and ministry of local government, rural development and cooperatives from the fiscal year (FY) 2016-17, they said.
The move has been taken with a view to further ensuring socio-economic development of the country's children, they added. Presently, five ministries directly get budgetary allocations for dealing with children's welfare.
Nearly Tk 15.17 billion has been allocated for the ministry of health 'as investment in child health' in the current FY. In FY 2014-15 revised budget, the allocation for the ministry was over Tk 14.08 billion, according to data of the ministry of finance.
In FY 2015-16 over Tk 96.46 billion has been earmarked for the ministry of education 'as investment for children'. In last FY's revised budget, it was a little over Tk 91.88 billion.
The allocation for the ministry of primary and mass education has increased to over Tk 139.12 billion for the current FY from over Tk 110.26 billion of the last fiscal.
Under category three, the ministry of social welfare has got more than Tk 4.65 billion 'as investment for protection, welfare and development of children'. The allocation was over Tk 3.66 billion in the revised budget for the last FY.
Tk 3.12 billion has been allocated for the ministry of women and children affairs for the current FY. The figure was more than Tk 2.64 billion in the last FY.
Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith placed a report titled 'Budget Thoughts for Children' (Shishuder Niye Budget Vabna), first of its kind in Bangladesh, during his budget speech for FY 2015-16 in Parliament.
He unveiled a 'child budget' on the child-related expenses and programmes of five ministries directly linked with their development.
Muhith had announced in the previous budget speech that 'children budget' would be placed from FY 2015-16.
The minister said during his budget speech, "In order to complete a child budget the initiatives of all the ministries dealing with children's welfare should be taken into consideration."
When contacted, a high official of the finance division, well-conversant with the issue, said it is not possible to make any comment right now as we are still working on the proposed issue.  
The present government is striving hard to build a country where every child would get safe life and have opportunity to build up their future in a friendly atmosphere, he added.  
He, however, said it has been taking necessary projects, programmes, and other initiatives directly dealing with the needs, rights and welfare of children.
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