The government has taken a plan to reduce the expenditure of the current financial year to deal with Corona. Implementation of the new budget begins today. But on the first day of implementation, the expenditure was postponed to Tk 1,006 crore.

This has been done from the travel sector. At the same time, it has been instructed to avoid all kinds of routine travel of government employees in the coming days. The Ministry of Finance has issued a circular in this regard.

Earlier on Wednesday, the parliament passed a budget of Tk 6 lakh 3 thousand 61 crores. This information has been found in the relevant sources.

The decision was taken as part of a government-sponsored austerity plan to combat coronavirus. Recently the prevalence of corona has increased abnormally. The strict lockdown that the government has given to bring it under control is the first day of the financial year.

As a result, stagnation in the economy is coming down in the journey of the new financial year. All kinds of trade and commerce have stopped. The import and export of goods with the neighboring countries are stopped. As a result, it will be very difficult to collect revenue of 3 lakh 69 thousand crores in the current financial year. And if you can’t earn, you can’t spend. That is why the finance ministry is working to reduce spending at the beginning of the year.

Even in the outgoing fiscal year, the government has saved about Tk 35,000 crore by postponing expenditure in several sectors including travel. The money saved has been transferred to other important sectors.

Finance Ministry Joint Secretary (Budget) Sirajur Nur Chowdhury told Jugantar that in the outgoing financial year, 50 percent from the travel sector, full purchase of government vehicles, and 15 percent of the annual development program (ADP) were suspended. The money saved by these decisions has been spent on more important sectors. Coronavirus in particular has had to make such a decision to deal with the high cost.

It is learned that in the current 2021-22 financial year, Tk 2,133 crore has been allocated for the travel sector of government employees. The circular of the Ministry of Finance said, “50 percent of the allocation will be suspended for meeting the expenditure of government travel.”

The directive further said that necessary funds are being allocated to the priority sectors of the government to combat the outbreak of the global pandemic coronavirus (Covid-19).

In addition, in order to ensure maximum utilization of limited resources, the management and development budget of all government, semi-government, autonomous, and other organizations in the current financial year (Economic Code-3244101) will be considered only in case of urgent and essential expenditure. However, employees should avoid all types of routine travel.

It added that the decision would remain in effect until a re-order was issued. And these decisions will be effective immediately. The circular signed by the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Mohammad Anisuzzaman has already been distributed to all concerned as it is very urgent.

Sources further said that in the coming days, it is being considered to stop the purchase of government vehicles and to suspend the expenditure of some part of the annual development program. This is because the coronavirus situation has recently taken a terrible turn. Infections and mortality are increasing. The government’s expenditure in various sectors is also increasing.

Finance Ministry sources further said that earlier in the outgoing financial year, the finance department had suspended 15 percent of the total allocation of the ADP being implemented by the ministries. As a result, the government has saved Tk 29,500 crore from the ADP sector.

In other words, the ministries are able to spend 75 percent of the ADP allocation. Similarly, the purchase of cars in various government office courts was stopped. This has saved the government Tk 2,200 crore. Besides, all types of travel expenses were also suspended by 50 percent.

The government has saved about Tk 650 crore here. And savings have been made by stopping the training of government employees. It saves about 23 billion rupees.

According to the concerned sources, about 35 thousand crore rupees have been saved in the outgoing financial year under austerity measures. The money has been used for health, food, and agriculture. Because coronal health sector is spending the most.

On the other hand, the revenue target was not being achieved. As a result, the government has benefited by spending this affordable money on other important sectors. The government is starting to walk with that plan in the current financial year as well.