Govt to expand MTBF coverage next fiscal
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
FE Report
Finance Minister AMA Muhith said Monday the Medium Term Budgetary Framework (MTBF) has failed to attain its desired goals mainly because of the failure on the part of concerned agencies' to properly establish their ownership over the programme.
"The main objective behind introduction of the three-year MTBF was to develop the ownership of the ministries in the budget implementation process, but we are yet to achieve that objective," Mr. Muhith told newsmen after a pre-budget meeting with secretaries of ministries covered under the MTBF at the secretariat.
Terming the MTBF a 'very good' method, the minister said it was introduced with an aim to decentralise both the planning and implementation processes of the national budget, he observed.
"But we are yet to properly adopt the system because of our failure to determine the targets and outcomes of the BTBF at the end of a fiscal year," said the Finance Minister.
He also informed the media that four more ministries/divisions dealing with housing, bridges, power and energy -- would come under the MTBF in the next budget.
With the new ones, the total number of ministries/divisions under the MTBF will be 20, he added.
Mr. Muhith also said allocations will be enhanced in next budget for some areas including generation of employments, enhancement of labour skills, agriculture development and power.
Besides, the election manifestos of the present government will also get priority in the budget for the year 2009-10, he mentioned.
"Although it will not be possible to meet all the election pledges in the next budget, majority of the same will be implemented within the next five years, said the minister.
Adviser to Prime Minister on economic affairs Dr. Moshiur Rahman, who was also present at the meeting, told newsmen that adequate resources would be available from external sources, side by side with efforts for enhancing private-public partnership for implementing necessary power projects in the country.
Responding to query, he said some 700 megawatt (MW) of electricity is to be added to the national grid by June next.
The Finance Minister, however, said the supply of natural gas would go up by 300-mmcfd (million cubic feet per day) within the next three years.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith said Monday the Medium Term Budgetary Framework (MTBF) has failed to attain its desired goals mainly because of the failure on the part of concerned agencies' to properly establish their ownership over the programme.
"The main objective behind introduction of the three-year MTBF was to develop the ownership of the ministries in the budget implementation process, but we are yet to achieve that objective," Mr. Muhith told newsmen after a pre-budget meeting with secretaries of ministries covered under the MTBF at the secretariat.
Terming the MTBF a 'very good' method, the minister said it was introduced with an aim to decentralise both the planning and implementation processes of the national budget, he observed.
"But we are yet to properly adopt the system because of our failure to determine the targets and outcomes of the BTBF at the end of a fiscal year," said the Finance Minister.
He also informed the media that four more ministries/divisions dealing with housing, bridges, power and energy -- would come under the MTBF in the next budget.
With the new ones, the total number of ministries/divisions under the MTBF will be 20, he added.
Mr. Muhith also said allocations will be enhanced in next budget for some areas including generation of employments, enhancement of labour skills, agriculture development and power.
Besides, the election manifestos of the present government will also get priority in the budget for the year 2009-10, he mentioned.
"Although it will not be possible to meet all the election pledges in the next budget, majority of the same will be implemented within the next five years, said the minister.
Adviser to Prime Minister on economic affairs Dr. Moshiur Rahman, who was also present at the meeting, told newsmen that adequate resources would be available from external sources, side by side with efforts for enhancing private-public partnership for implementing necessary power projects in the country.
Responding to query, he said some 700 megawatt (MW) of electricity is to be added to the national grid by June next.
The Finance Minister, however, said the supply of natural gas would go up by 300-mmcfd (million cubic feet per day) within the next three years.