The commerce adviser Sheikh聽Bashir聽Uddin on Sunday said that the fiscal policies in the past in our country were made to benefit only the wealthy class, rather than thinking about all classes of people.
Speaking at a policy conclave organised by a national daily named Bonik Barta at a hotel in the capital, he said that there has been no significant investment in the country in the past 15 years.
鈥楬ow would employment opportunities be created if investments do not come?鈥� he said.
The policy conclave discussed 鈥楻ational prices of food products: Exploring strategies for market supervision鈥�.
Addressing people鈥檚 fear over potential rise of commodity prices, Sk Bashir Uddin said that the commerce ministry was trying to manage the market in coordination with all the stakeholders.
鈥業 also want to assure you that there will be no problem regarding commodity prices during Ramadan,鈥� he said claiming that there were no shortage of imported commodity items including sugar, oil and dates.
The previous Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina destroyed all the institutions including business, judiciary and academia in the country, the adviser noted.
Stating that there were irregularities in the TCB list, he said that the number of beneficiaries was one crore.
鈥楤ut when we initially verified, we found 43 lakh fake beneficiaries. I think if we verify it at an extra level, another 20-25 lakh fake beneficiaries will be found.鈥�
The adviser said, 鈥榃e want to make the Bangladesh Competition Commission completely independent so that there is no anti-competitive activity in the market and no interference from the ministry.鈥�
Former Jahangirnagar University economics professor聽Anu Muhammad said that the entire economy has been destroyed to benefit a few businessmen.
鈥楾he most terrible collapse that has occurred in the past 15 years is the ruination of all institutions. There is no institution in the country now,鈥� he said.
Centre for Policy Dialogue research director聽Khandaker Golam Moazzem presented the key paper at the conclave, in which he focused on integration of the food supply chains.
鈥楩ood market appears to be increasingly becoming unregulated with limited market monitoring, growing informalisation, increasing control of dominant market players,鈥� the keynote paper stated.
It added that such a market causes inefficiency, lack of transparency and accountability, legal culpability, and limited accessibility.
The keynote paper further said that successive governments including the interim government have undertaken various measures towards stabilising the food market with limited positive impact due to absence of properly functioning food markets in the country.
Abdur Rahman Khan, chairman of the National Board of Revenue said that Bangladesh was running with the poor people鈥檚 money.
鈥榃here we were supposed to take steps, we failed. We could not increase the tax net. Moreover, only 60 per cent files returns among the 1.1 crore listed taxpayers, but no penalties are imposed upon others for not filing,鈥� he added.
Umama Fatema, spokesperson for the Students Against Discrimination platform said that information flow in the market is very poor. She urged the government to take initiatives to bring the market under control.
Md Abdur Rahim Khan, additional secretary of the export wing (routine charge of secretary), among others, was present in the event.
