Finance Minister, AMA Muhith, has proposed an allocation of Tk. 58.9 billion for agriculture and rural development sectors for fiscal year 2018-19 - the highest allocation for any sector in the proposed budget.
The Tk 58.9 billion will be spent for the development of agriculture, fisheries, marine-fisheries resources and for rural and urban development, he stated, while placing the national budget in parliament on Thursday.
Elaborating on expenditure, Muhith, said, “Agriculture subsidy, introduction of cards on fertilizer, seeds and other agricultural inputs, mechanisation of irrigation and farming, diversification and marketing of crops and agricultural rehabilitation support are some of our successful programmes.”
We will continue to implement these, came the firm commitment from the finance minister.
The government has set a target to innovate 22 new varieties of crops and 21 new technologies in the next fiscal year, he informed the House.
Citing Bangladesh’s fourth position in fish production from inland open water and fifth position in fish production from inland closed water in the Food and Agricultural Organisation-2016 report, Muhith said: “We want to increase fish production to 45.52 metric tonnes by 2021.”
‘Ekti Bari Ekti Khamar’ (One House, One Farm) programmes have been implemented in every union of the country to promote micro savings instead of microcredit.
Six million families, which means 30 million people altogether, will be permanently taken out of the scourge of poverty by 2021 through this programme, hoped Muhith.
On rural and urban development, Muhith said, “We have set the target to advance rural road network coverage from 35.2 percent to 36.9 percent in the next financial year.”
He also informed the house of a number of government initiated programmes to increase the coverage of sewerage facilities to 40 percent from 20 percent and drainage facilities to 80 percent from 60 percent.
Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has taken a crash programme to remove the water-logging of Dhaka city in the upcoming monsoon season, the minister added
“The crash program includes re-excavation of 25 k.m. canals and removal of garbage from 290 km long drains.”
We are, therefore, proposing an allocation of TK. 58.928 billion for agriculture and rural development sector for fiscal year 2018-19,” Muhith observed.