DSCC announces Tk6741.28cr budget

• The budget for the FY2022-23 is Tk6,741.28 crore
• Total development budget Tk5,608.62 crore
• DSCC has implemented only 29% of the previous budget
• Allocation for mosquito control, waste management has been increased

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) on Thursday announced a Tk6,741.28 crore budget for fiscal year 2022-23 with focus on canal reclamation and reconstruction and enhanced beautification of the city.

The corporation could implement only 29% of the previous budget of Tk6,593.26 crore.

Earlier, the revised budget of Tk1,923.65 crore was approved unanimously at the corporation board meeting. The proposed budget for FY22 was Tk6,593.26 crore.

DSCC Mayor Barrister Fazle Noor Taposh placed the budget at a press conference at the Mayor Hanif auditorium at the Nagar Bhaban in the city.  

Allocation for mosquito control, waste management has been increased in the budget while land development tax of Tk5 crore has been allocated for the all the establishments of the corporation for the first time in the budget.

DSCC in this budget has promised to make the city pedestrian-friendly. 

In the new budget, Tk25 crore has been allocated for mosquito control. In the last budget, Tk22.50 crore was allocated for mosquito control of which Tk22.12 crore was spent.

In the last budget, DSCC allocated Tk10.68 crore for waste management, which has been increased to Tk15.05 crore this year. But the city corporation could spend only Tk4.33 crore of the total allocation for waste management last fiscal year.

In the budget, DSCC has set a revenue target of Tk1,266.50 crore mainly from holding, cleaning, lighting and health tax Tk450 crore, Tk200 crore from Bazar Salami, Tk150 crore from trade license, Tk150 crore property transfer tax.  

In the previous budget, DSCC had a target to earn Tk1,242.46 crore revenue of which the corporation could earn Tk879.65 crore. 

DSCC Mayor Taposh has called it the highest revenue in the history of the corporation. In FY21, the revenue earned was the highest Tk703.31 crore. 

In the new budget, a Tk4,816.09 crore revenue target has been set from the government assistance and foreign aided project fund.

Although the corporation could spend only Tk52 lakh of the total allocation of Tk5.25 crore for the construction of children's parks, development of parks and playgrounds, and development and repair works, DSCC has increased the same allocation this fiscal year 11 times higher to Tk56.10 crore. 

"We have not raised any tax, rather we have been able to increase our income by expanding our revenue sources, checking tax evasion and realising outstanding taxes," said Mayor Taposh in his budget speech.  

He also said that they have reclaimed 6.5 acres of encroached land and has started the excavation works of the Old Buriganga River Channel for which Tk25 crore has been allocated in this budget.

When asked why 70% of the budget was unspent, Mayor Taposh said there was no major mismatch in the main activities of the corporation. The lowest implementation rate was in the foreign aided and government funded projects.