MoSW seeks addl Tk 5.03b in next FY\\\'s budget

The Ministry of Social Welfare (MoSW) has sought an additional allocation of Tk 5.03 billion in the budget of next fiscal year (FY), officials said.

The MoSW has recently sent a letter to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) in this connection.  

Under the Medium-Term Budgetary Framework (MTBF) the MoF has fixed budgetary ceilings of Tk 25.57 billion, Tk 28.33 billion and Tk 31.16 billion for the FYs 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 respectively, according to official data.

The MoF had earlier fixed the budgetary ceiling at Tk 23.41 billion in the current FY which was enhanced to Tk 29.04 billion due to increase in the rates of allowances in different social safety programmes, the officials said.

It is now an urgent need to raise the budgetary ceiling in the next FY to meet the increasing rates of social safety programme allowances, they added.  

The next meeting of the social safety programme committee will be held soon to finalise the increased rates of allowances and the number of beneficiaries of the programmes across the country.

A high official of the MoSW said: "We have requested the MoF to increase the budgetary ceiling to Tk 30.78 billion from Tk 25.75 billion in the next FY."

Meanwhile, an official of the MoF said: "A letter from the MoSW requesting additional allocation has been received recently and it is now with our official concerned for taking necessary steps in this connection".  

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