JS passes FY 15 budget

The Jatiya Sangsad (JS) on Sunday passed the national budget for fiscal year 2014-15 (FY15) involving Tk 2.5 trllion (Tk 2 lakh 50 thousand 506 crore), expecting to uphold the current pace of development to achieve a middle income country status as enshrined in the Vision-2021 of the alliance government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The JS also adopted the Appropriation Bill-2014, piloted by Finance Minister AMA Muhith seeking budgetary allocations of Tk 382340, 01, 21,000 for meeting its development and non-development expenditures for various ministries. The bill was passed by voice vote. On Saturday, the JS passed the Finance Bill-2014 with some changes on the tax-duty proposals. With the adoption of the Finance Bill-2014 on Saturday and the Appropriation Bill-2014 today, the process of the JS passing the national budget for FY15 is complete. About 248 cut motions were proposed by opposition and independent lawmakers but they spoke on the cut motions for four demands for grants that were rejected by voice vote. Ministers in charge of the concerned ministries placed their proposals for expenditures through 56 demands for grants, which were passed by voice vote.Leader of the House and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Begum Rowshan Ershad, Finance Minister AMA Muhith, ministers, 265 treasury, opposition benches and independent members took part in discussion for 63 hours 6 minutes on the budget for FY15 and the supplementary budget for FY14 in 16 working days from June 8, according to BSS.