Leaders of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on Saturday demanded the formation of a Public Expenditure Review Commission to stop unbearable corruption.
They also said yearly income tax evasion is nearly $25 billion — although no breakdown was provided of how they arrived at this number, which could increase the per capita health allocation four-fold.
The leaders of the CSOs raised the demands at a press conference held at the Economic Reporters' Forum auditorium in Dhaka jointly organised by EquityBD and other fellow organisations including Bangladesh Krishok Federation, CSRL, NDF, Sundarban Surokkha Andolon, Trinomul Unnayan Sangstha, and Water Keepers Bangladesh.
The Chief Moderator of EquityBD, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury moderated the press conference where Md Ahsanul Karim Babor, director of COAST Foundation, presented the Keynote.
Among others, Iqbal Faruk of Water Keepers Bangladesh, ASM Badrul Alam of Bangladesh Kriskok Foundation, Mir Mohammad Ali, associate prof of Shere-Bangla Agricultural University, Ibnul Syed Rana of NDF, and Mizanur Rahman of Economic Reporters' Form spoke in the press conference.
In his keynote paper, Md Ahsanul Karim raised some demands including the formation of a Public Expenditure Review Commission to stop corruption, to launch of an Inter-country Bank Transparency Agreement to stop the capital flight and black money, the two major concerns of Bangladesh, Citizens having dual nationality must submit their asset and bank statement every year, and Instead of reducing subsidy forced by the lenders, the government must stop the unnecessary and irrational public expenditure.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said, that if the government could stop income tax evasion, which is nearly $25 billion, we would be able to double the social safety net program for the poor or increase the per capita health allocation four times.
He urged the reinstallation of the law on annual wealth statements by public servants and capital punishment for their corruption.
ASM Badrul Alam of Bangladesh Krishok Federation said, that the IMF who lent Bangladesh 4.7 billion dollars recently, forced the government to stop the electricity subsidy. But they didn't prescribe to stop the unnecessary and irrational public expenditure.
Mir Mohammad Ali, assistant professor of Sher-E-Bangla Agricultural University, said that the government must not reduce the subsidies as those are spent for people's well-being.
Rather, the government should invest in life-saving services like water, health, and electricity to increase the quality of life.
Mizanur Rahman of the Economic Reporters' Forum said that those who were assigned to stop corruption and black money left the country with a lot of assets and money. Ibnul Syed Rana of NDF said, now is the time to raise our voice and stop the capital flight.
