Big budget won’t work if funds siphoned off: AG

Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal believes that preventing waste and ensuring good governance are more important than increasing the size of the national budget.

Speaking to the media at his office on Thursday, he said: “If 20 percent or 30 percent of a very large budget is siphoned off for one reason or another, then no matter how large the budget is, it serves little purpose.”

He shared his views on the budget, anti-corruption efforts, and examples of frugality and integrity from his own office.

"The allocations made under the budget should be used honestly and only to the extent necessary by the respective departments," he said.

Referring to budget constraints facing the Attorney General's Office, Kazal said: "I myself experience the limitations of our office budget every day. Many expenses of the Attorney General's Office, including litigation costs, are often borne personally by our law officers. Even so, we continue to work in the interest of the state."

He also criticised the longstanding government practice of rushing to spend funds at the end of the fiscal year under what is commonly known as the "June closing", and cited an example from his own office.
    �"bdnews24