Budget should reflect Digital Bangladesh vision
Speakers at a roundtable observed that the national budget for fiscal 2011-12 should focus on the vision of a Digital Bangladesh or it will remain just a slogan. Bangladesh ICT Journalist Forum (BIJF) organised the roundtable styled 'Budget 2011-2012: Towards a Digital Bangladesh' as the national budget will be tabled in parliament on June 9. Experts at the event said the government vowed to establish a Digital Bangladesh by 2021 in its election manifesto in 2009. However, the last two budgets did not have much reflection of that. Speakers observed that if it does not get proper importance in this year's budget, the government will not have much time left to achieve the vision, as it will have to think about the next election before placing the 4th and 5th national budgets. Speakers also discussed the budgetary requirements to make a Digital Bangladesh, what has not been implemented from the previous budgets, what would expedite the process of making a Digital Bangladesh and other important issues in this regard. State Minister for Science and ICT Yeafesh Osman was chief guest at the event while Dr. Akram Hossain Chowdhury, MP and chairman of Centre for e-Parliament Research and Mahfuzur Rahman, Executive Director, Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) were special guests. Mustafa Jabbar, president of Bangladesh Computer Samiti (BCS), moderated the event. The chief guest in his speech said the ICT ministry will start working harder and considering the significance of a Digital Bangladesh. It has already taken quite a few short-term and long-term projects under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he added. He also said the IP phone network has already been set up in 32 districts. An initiative is being taken to bring the price of bandwidth to a reasonable level, so that internet becomes more easy access for people. He further said the prevailing problems will have to be faced as challenges to achieve the vision of a Digital Bangladesh and the government has specific plans to face the challenges. He expressed the need for working together. Special guest Dr Akram Hossain Chowdhury said he would place the suggestions of the discussion regarding budget and Digital Bangladesh in the budget discussion in parliament. How ICT could be used in poverty alleviation would also be discussed, he said. Speakers also discussed about VAT-tax, importance of digital management of government works, successful use of eBooks in education system, 3G and 4G network and other issues. They also proposed to set advanced income tax (AIT) on all computer and networking products. BCS, Bangladesh Association of software and information services (BASIS), ISP association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), mobile phone operators, 4G internet service providers, academics, ICT experts and high officials of different NGOs attended the roundtable.
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