There is a lack of transparency in the process of budget formulation and implementation in our country. The greater portion of the government’s income comes through indirect taxes from common citizens. But still they do not have roles in drafting the national budget. The process of budget formulation must be democratic in order to create an equal society. This is essential for the citizens to get involved in the budgeting process for equable development.
The speakers gave their opinion at the closing ceremony of Budget Olympiad 2019 Grand Finale held on December 19th. Professor Kazi Maruful Islam, Director of the Center on Budget and Policy inaugurated this event organized at Professor Habibullah Conference Hall, Faculty of Commrce, DU. Nuzhat Jabin, Manager of Governance at ActionAid Bangladesh and Sirazul Islam Abed, Assistant Editor at the Daily Samakal delivered welcome speech at the opening session.
Dr. Debopriyo Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow of CPD was present as Chief Guest in Budget Olympiad Grand Finale. The budget process must be democratic, he said. Budget is being prepared in bureaucratic system where participation of common people and public representative is being neglected. There is a lack of transparency in the budget process. The process of how foreign aid is being assimilated is obscure in many cases. Generally, the focus of budget discussion is allocation. But budget financing and implementation is not much present with importance on the discussion table. This discussion is more important, he added.
M M Akash, Professor of Economics at Du and convener of Budget Olympiad presided over the closing ceremony. Education and health sector in not getting proper focus in National Budget and the allocation for the poor and hardcore poor is still not that remarkable, he said. Monower Mostafa, General Secretary of DBM emphasized on making the budget process decentralized and democratic too by ensuring increased participation of common citizens and elected public representatives.
Aamanur Rahman-Director of Care Bangladesh, Nurul Alam Masud- CEO of Participatory Research Action Network-PRAN, Asgar ali Sabri- Director of ActionAid Bangladesh other than that of spoke on the occasion.
Among 100 participants from all over the country, Abdullah Al Maruf from Rahshahi University won the crown of Champion in Budget Olympiad 2019. Ahsan Habib was the first runner up from the same university. Hridoy Mazumder from Noakhali Science and Technology University won the second runner up award. And the five regional Olympiad champions are Nadim Bin Shahjahan from Noakhali, Protik Halder from Barishal, Jakariya SHeikh from Khulna, Sohan Islam from Rajshahi and Mohidur Rahman from Chattogram.
‘Budget Olympiad’ is a basically national level contest being initiated by Democratic Budget Movement-DBM every year to mobilize and sensitize youth and students on the discussion of national budgetary issues and popular concerns around its planning process. Successive of last couple of years, this year, more than 2000 students participated in this Olympiad from five region –Chattogram, Khulna, Noakhali, Barishal and Rajshahi. 100 participants, 20 winners from each region participated in the grand finale organized by Participatory Research Action Network-PRAN supported by ActionAid Bangladesh. The Daily Samakal and Samakal Suhrid Somabesh was organizing media partner and Youth Engagement Partner respectively. Bangladesh Economics Student Network-BESN as Youth Partner took part in organizing of Budget Olympiad 2019.
