Business community, politicians hail new proposed budget

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Chittagong Bureau :
The people of chittagong irrespective of opinions and political affiliations welcomed the new proposed national budget instantly after announcement before the Jatiya sangsad. Awami league and its front organizations brought out processions hailing the ever largest national budget.
 The procession led by former city Mayor A B M Mohiuddin Chowdhury started from the city’s Darul Fazal market and ended at the same venue after parading different important city streets. However opposition BNP did not make any formal reaction about the budget. BNP and its front bodies did not comment over the budget instantly.
Economists, entrepreneurs and leaders of different political parties hailed the just announced proposed budget for the fiscal 2017-2018 terming it as a pragmatic and development-oriented.
This budget aims at turning the country into a middle-income one by 2021, they commented. In an instant reaction to media , President of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce & Industries (CCCI) Mahbubul Alam termed the just announced budget for fiscal 2017-2018 as a business, investment-friendly and said it is for the wellbeing of the common people.
A total of 45 percent increase in allocation for energy sector as compared to last year, the government seems to be really pushing for the development of power and energy sector with a gross increase of allocation in this sector for the next fiscal, he said.
“There are a lot of new programmes, incorporated in the budget to cope with the present tougher economic situation and industrialization”, he added.
He thanked the finance minister for accepting most of the proposals of CCCI including reduction of tax on imported raw materials for domestic industries.
“The allocation in power, IT, education, health, food security, environment, ship building industries and human resources sectors got proper allocation”, he added.
He also thanked the finance minister for allocation for construction of flyovers in Chittagong, 16.5 Kilometer-long elevated expressway and Dohazari-Gundum rail line project. He also demanded reduction of the percentage of VAT to 10 or 12 from the proposed 15.
President of Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industries Monowara Hakim Ali said the direct and indirect allocation of 28 percent of the total budget for development of women will contribute epoch making role in the days to come.