Nothing new, nothing exciting
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Splash
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Long Read
  • Games
  • Epaper
  • More
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Subscribe
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard
FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2022
FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2022
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Splash
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Long Read
  • Games
  • Epaper
  • More
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Subscribe
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
Nothing new, nothing exciting

Analysis

Dr Shafiun Nahin Shimul
03 June, 2021, 10:05 pm
Last modified: 03 June, 2021, 10:24 pm

Related News

  • DNCC approves Tk4,806cr proposed budget
  • Proposed budget needs to be polished: Planning minister
  • Proposed budget SME-friendly: SME Foundation
  • Proposed budget may generate high employment: lawmakers
  • Proposed budget is visionary say businessmen of Chattogram 

Nothing new, nothing exciting

Dr Shafiun Nahin Shimul
03 June, 2021, 10:05 pm
Last modified: 03 June, 2021, 10:24 pm
Dr Shafiun Nahin Shimul. Sketch: TBS
Dr Shafiun Nahin Shimul. Sketch: TBS

The proposed budget for the 2021-22 FY does not have anything different compared to the current one.  

Each time we see that the new budget pops up with some increased figures than the previous one. It happened this time too.    

Except the Tk10,000 crore from the block allocation, the finance minister proposed only 5.4% of the budget to health for the next year – which is a marginal increase, and there is nothing exciting.

But the new budget could have newer things into its consideration.

There could be health insurance or financial protection schemes for the poor. Bringing 1 crore people under the health insurance coverage could create a new spending area and would provide the poor with financial protection. But there is nothing new in the budget.

I think instead of Tk10,000 crore separate block allocation, the finance minister could have added it to the health allocation. The health ministry returned the allocation this year upon spending failure.

Block allocation is an inter-ministerial subject. When the health ministry cannot even spend its original budget funding, how would it spend from the block allocation? On top of the confusion about health's spending capacity, it is unclear when the emergency fund can be put in use.

So, what is the benefit of the budget allocation if it is not used?

The proposed budget says modern equipment, such as ECG machines, nebulizer machines, autoclave, ultrasonography machines, blood collection monitors will be installed in the upazilla complexes.

Besides the purchase, the maintenance is also equally important. But the reality is the health sector purchases usually attract the bureaucrats more than the maintenance. If we only buy health equipment completely ignoring the maintenance, it will not benefit the patients.

The government is concerned over Covid-19 vaccine though the budget does not specify the vaccine allocations. Financing will not be a major problem once the vaccines become available.

The proposed budget mentions Tk100 crore allocation for research, but it is not clear whether it is for the current year or the upcoming one.

A research proposal has been sought a few days ago as this year's budget has not been spent yet.

The proposal will take as long as July this year for evaluation. This means the cost to come from the new fiscal year allocation. So it seems to me that there is no new allocation for research.

But there were many scopes for spending this money during the pandemic. Even those conducting research on vaccine development could get the fund.

The budget proposal offers tax exemption to general hospitals with a minimum of 250 beds and also to specialized hospitals with a minimum of 200 bed capacity for ten years.

There is no survey on whether private sector investment in health is declining due to taxes. It is not right that only providing incentives will meet with big hospitals outside Dhaka. Rather, there could be mushrooming smaller private clinics.        

Tax reduction in the pharmaceutical industry is a good decision. Because the pharmaceutical industries in our country still do not produce raw materials. The active pharmaceutical ingredients come from India, Europe and America.

But we have to estimate if the pharmaceutical companies or the people will benefit from the tax exemption. The tax supports are supposed to bring down drug prices, but   it may not be the case.

My assumption is that a large portion of the health budget will remain unspent like the 2020-21 FY.

Dr Shafiun Nahin Shimul is an associate professor of University of Dhaka and a health economist 

 

Top News / Budget

Proposed budget / Nothing New

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • What needs to be done now?
    What needs to be done now?
  • Illustration: TBS
    Dhaka’s kerb market money exchangers losing out on customers
  • A woman walks past the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo at its headquarters in Washington, US, 10 May 12018. Photo: REUTERS
    IMF urges Asia to be mindful of spillover risks from tightening

MOST VIEWED

  • A green economic transition must not affect the wellbeing of the over 4 million RMG workers. Picture: MumitM/TBS
    Just Transition in an unjust world
  • Illustration: TBS
    Money supply needs to be curtailed to suppress domestic demand
  • Safety net needs to be expanded by minimising corruption 
    Safety net needs to be expanded by minimising corruption 
  • Domestic production should be boosted to meet aggregate demand
    Domestic production should be boosted to meet aggregate demand
  • File photo of Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya. Picture: CPD
    Fiscal consolidation is a way out
  • Falling trade barriers and hyper-efficient logistics produced an age of abundance for many. But the last four years have brought an escalating series of disruptions.Source: Bloomberg
    Age of scarcity begins with $1.6 trillion hit to world economy

Related News

  • DNCC approves Tk4,806cr proposed budget
  • Proposed budget needs to be polished: Planning minister
  • Proposed budget SME-friendly: SME Foundation
  • Proposed budget may generate high employment: lawmakers
  • Proposed budget is visionary say businessmen of Chattogram 

Features

A green economic transition must not affect the wellbeing of the over 4 million RMG workers. Picture: MumitM/TBS

Just Transition in an unjust world

1h | Analysis
Two paddle steamers (orange coloured) and two new steamers are docked at Badamtoli Rocket Ghat on the bank of the River Buriganga in Old Dhaka. The photo was taken recently. Photo: Mumit M

The last water rockets

2h | Features
Illustration: TBS

Dhaka’s kerb market money exchangers losing out on customers

2h | Panorama
Sketch: TBS

'Food inflation is an unavoidable consequence of currency devaluation'

1d | Interviews

More Videos from TBS

Gazipur restaurant that serves 150 food items

Gazipur restaurant that serves 150 food items

Now | Videos
How to prepare for a job

How to prepare for a job

57m | Videos
Putin's strategies to face Nato

Putin's strategies to face Nato

12h | Videos
How many countries have nuclear weapons and how many are there?

How many countries have nuclear weapons and how many are there?

13h | Videos

Most Read

1
Tk100 for bike, Tk2,400 for bus to cross Padma Bridge
Bangladesh

Tk100 for bike, Tk2,400 for bus to cross Padma Bridge

2
Representative Photo: Pixabay.
Bangladesh

Microplastics found in 5 local sugar brands

3
Mushfiq Mobarak. Photo: Noor-A-Alam
Panorama

Meet the Yale professor who anchors his research in Bangladesh and scales up interventions globally

4
A packet of US five-dollar bills is inspected at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington March 26, 2015. REUTERS/Gary Cameron
Banking

Dollar hits Tk100 mark in open market

5
The story of Bangladesh becoming a major bicycle exporter
Industry

The story of Bangladesh becoming a major bicycle exporter

6
PK Halder: How a scamster rose from humble beginnings to a Tk11,000cr empire
Crime

PK Halder: How a scamster rose from humble beginnings to a Tk11,000cr empire

The Business Standard
Top
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • About Us
  • Bangladesh
  • International
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Economy
  • Sitemap
  • RSS

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net

Copyright © 2022 THE BUSINESS STANDARD All rights reserved. Technical Partner: RSI Lab