"The budget for the coming financial year is very good, but there’re some inconsistencies in it," he said, without elaboration, after taking part in the general discussion on the budget in Parliament.
Awami League MP expressed the hope that the prime minister and the finance minister will look into these ‘inconsistencies’.
Business leader-turned AL MP Abdus Salam Murshedy said the proposed budget is positive for businesspeople as well as others. "Providing the scope of legalising undisclosed money is a positive decision of the government as development is not possible with idle money."
He said land-related business will get a boost for the decision.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid urged the finance minister to review his plan to make it mandatory for all electric metre holders to take Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) to bring them under the next net.
He instead urged the finance minister to make it mandatory for taking TINs by the consumers who are using above 500 units of electricity per month.
Jatiya Party MP Rowshan Ara Mannan said the proposed budget failed to ensure equity of wealth management among the labour and worker class.
Taking a swipe at the government, she said it has given the scope for legalising the undisclosed money to give special favour to the 'black money' holders and the rich.
Rowshan Ara also urged the Finance Ministry not to increase VAT on e-commerce and tax at source on family savings certificates.
She criticised the government for its interest for publicising the large budget over recovering default loans.
About the top 300 loan defaulters whose names were disclosed in Parliament, the Jatiya Party MP said the main defaulters’ names were missing in the list as they managed to keep their names away through stay orders from the High Court.
She said the government should ensure punishment of the loan defaulters.
Gonoforum MP Sultan Muhammed Mansur Ahmed urged the government to take necessary steps to rein in loan defaulters.
He said a vested quarter is trying to push the prime minister to a 'point of no return'. He, however, did not explain further.
Sultan Mansur said the December 30 general election might have been another controversial one like the January 5, 2014 general election had he not joined Parliament. “The BNP MPs joined in Parliament following my path.”
He urged Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina to initiate a move to forge national unity by all the pro-liberation forces.
The former AL leader said he neither resigned from the party nor the AL cancelled his party membership.
Jatiya Party MP Sayed Abu Hossain said the banking sector is facing a serious liquidity crisis as the government is taking loans from banks to address the budget deficit.
He urged the government to pay attention to avoiding such deficit in the budget for 2019-20 fiscal year.
Abu Hossain urged the finance minister not to increase the supplementary duty on any kind of services through mobile phone.