Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said the true success of the recently prepared budget depends on its effective implementation, despite receiving widespread appreciation from people across all sections of society.
Speaking as the chief guest at the first meeting with officials of the Finance Division at the Ministry of Finance conference room.
Khosru said the budget was prepared through hard work over the past one and a half to two months and its formulation was good. However, its actual success would depend on successful implementation.
He expressed hope that the budget would be implemented effectively through the collective efforts of officials of the Finance Division.
The meeting was presided over by Finance Division Secretary Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder.
The finance minister said the negative perception among the public about bureaucracy must be changed. Drawing on his experience over the past four months, he said any obstacle could be overcome if everyone worked together.
He urged officials to move away from traditional systems and practices and adopt innovative thinking to keep pace with a changing world.
Khosru said meetings should not be one-way affairs and officials should be given opportunities to express their views freely and spontaneously. He called for open discussions, mutual cooperation and “out of the box” approaches beyond conventional thinking.
Describing the workplace as a family environment, he encouraged officials to focus on opportunities, new ideas and direct problem-solving instead of merely raising complaints.
He said receiving accurate and objective feedback from different divisions would help in making correct decisions.
Referring to the Finance Division as the centre of the country’s economic driving force, Khosru called on officials to perform their responsibilities from their respective positions in the interest of the country.
After a meeting at the Secretariat on the integrated development plan for Cox’s Bazar, Khosru told journalists that the government had initiated an integrated master plan to transform the coastal district into an international and regional tourism hub.
He said the government was also considering revising the long-standing restrictions on development activities within 50 metres and 500 metres of coastal areas.
The minister said tourism development required the establishment of hotels, motels, resorts and entertainment centres, while ensuring environmental protection.
He said the government had major plans for Cox’s Bazar, where construction of the international airport was progressing, rail connectivity had already been introduced and advanced road communication from Chittagong was being developed.
In coordination with these infrastructure projects, Cox’s Bazar would be transformed into a modern digital tourism city, he said.
Khosru said Cox’s Bazar would become one of the key growth hubs in achieving Bangladesh’s target of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2034.
He added that through the expansion of tourism, trade and service sectors, the contribution of Cox’s Bazar to the national economy would be further strengthened.
