Money from anti-graft drive to go to employment project
Shakhawat Hossain | Thursday, 26 June 2008
The caretaker government might utilise Tk 9.0 billion recovered during the anti-corruption drive for implementation of the proposed Tk 20 billion '100 Days Employment Generation' programme in the new fiscal, officials said Tuesday.
A senior finance ministry official said nearly half of the programme cost will be financed from the money recovered during the one and a half years anti-corruption drive.
The present caretaker government has realised more than Tk 14 billion from corrupt politicians, businessmen and dishonest government officials.
"The rest of the project money will come from government exchequer," said the official, adding that a proposal on the project financing was awaiting approval by the finance adviser.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) chairman Muzaffar Ahmed said there is no problem in financing the employment generation scheme with the money recovered from an anti-corruption drive.
"But it will have no significance in funding the project by the recovered stolen money as this is too a government income," he said.
He said the issue is how people will know the recovered money being spent on the employment generation scheme as it will be coming as a budget allocation.
"The government should better allocate the money to the anti-corruption commission to strengthen the watchdog in curbing corruption," he said.
Prof. Ahmed thinks the ACC officials have shortage of skill and temperament to detect corruption in many areas, including government-run food relief operations.
The money realised during the anti-corruption drive is a direct outcome of the activities and skills of the ACC officials, he said.
Finance and planning adviser Mirza Azizul Islam in his budget proposals said a new programme titled '100 Days Employment Generation' aims to ensure employment of poor across the country for at least 100 days.
The new programme, replicated the one under implementation in India, has been proposed to provide the ultra poor and the rural middle class communities a cushion against the soaring inflation prevailing in the country.
The inflation has been a big worry for the present caretaker government as the price hike of food items marked substantial rise 'hurting the ultra poor and the rural middle class communities mainly', said the finance adviser.
A quarterly report by the food and disaster management ministry said the country's poor people have to spend 87 per cent of their food budget for purchase of rice due to soaring price of the item and remaining only 13 per cent on protein and vegetables diet in 2008.
The share of cost of rice in total food expenditure in the bottom quintile increased from 54 per cent in 2006, to 59 per cent in 2007.
But in 2008, it marked a record 28 percentage points increase forcing the poor to have little or skip other food items such as meat, vegetables and fruits, said the report.
A senior finance ministry official said nearly half of the programme cost will be financed from the money recovered during the one and a half years anti-corruption drive.
The present caretaker government has realised more than Tk 14 billion from corrupt politicians, businessmen and dishonest government officials.
"The rest of the project money will come from government exchequer," said the official, adding that a proposal on the project financing was awaiting approval by the finance adviser.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) chairman Muzaffar Ahmed said there is no problem in financing the employment generation scheme with the money recovered from an anti-corruption drive.
"But it will have no significance in funding the project by the recovered stolen money as this is too a government income," he said.
He said the issue is how people will know the recovered money being spent on the employment generation scheme as it will be coming as a budget allocation.
"The government should better allocate the money to the anti-corruption commission to strengthen the watchdog in curbing corruption," he said.
Prof. Ahmed thinks the ACC officials have shortage of skill and temperament to detect corruption in many areas, including government-run food relief operations.
The money realised during the anti-corruption drive is a direct outcome of the activities and skills of the ACC officials, he said.
Finance and planning adviser Mirza Azizul Islam in his budget proposals said a new programme titled '100 Days Employment Generation' aims to ensure employment of poor across the country for at least 100 days.
The new programme, replicated the one under implementation in India, has been proposed to provide the ultra poor and the rural middle class communities a cushion against the soaring inflation prevailing in the country.
The inflation has been a big worry for the present caretaker government as the price hike of food items marked substantial rise 'hurting the ultra poor and the rural middle class communities mainly', said the finance adviser.
A quarterly report by the food and disaster management ministry said the country's poor people have to spend 87 per cent of their food budget for purchase of rice due to soaring price of the item and remaining only 13 per cent on protein and vegetables diet in 2008.
The share of cost of rice in total food expenditure in the bottom quintile increased from 54 per cent in 2006, to 59 per cent in 2007.
But in 2008, it marked a record 28 percentage points increase forcing the poor to have little or skip other food items such as meat, vegetables and fruits, said the report.