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Dhaka, June 8 (UNB) - Terming the proposed national budget for fiscal 2012-13 time-befitting one, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday voiced her conviction that her government will be able to properly implement it and thus reach its benefits to the commoners.

“This is my strong belief that our government would be able to implement it properly and thus reach the benefits to the common people,” she said while addressing the central working committee meeting of the ruling Awami League at her official residence Ganobhaban in the afternoon.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith placed a Tk 1,91,738 crore budget in parliament on Thursday for the next fiscal year, which is 18.1 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Ruling out the allegation that the budget size is too big and the deficit is huge, the Prime Minister said the deficit remained the same as in the past as 5 percent of GDP.

The Awami League chief said some might not be happy with this budget as they only understand plundering money after assuming power. “They (opposition) have amassed wealth, laundered money and changed their fate overnight, but there was no development of the country.”

Referring to the criticisms of many regarding the budget size, she said the government has rolled out such a budget for the upcoming fiscal year considering the country’s 15 crore population as well as to ensure their overall economic development. “This budget is only for their interest and their welfare.”

Hasina also praised the Finance Minister for placing such a budget.

After assuming power this time, she said, her government has increased the salaries of the public servants and their purchasing capacity has increased. “We’ve also been able to tackle the recession prudently and ensured socioeconomic development of the country.”

She said the targets of budget under the tenure of AL aims for increasing the rate of education and improving its standards, reaching healthcare services to the doorsteps of common people, infusing dynamism into the rural economy, increasing the purchasing capacity, creating employment opportunities and thus ensuring overall development.

Being the head of the government, Hasina mentioned, she held a series of meetings, including some with the ministries, before finalising the budget, and opinions from cross-section of people were considered.

The Prime Minister said while preparing the budget her government took into consideration the interests of the local industry as well as providing necessary support for improving their standard of products.

Hasina said her government could have advanced further had there been no recession and fuel price hike. She said the government is also providing subsidies to sectors like agriculture and health, and in the future the power sector may not require that much of subsidy.

The Prime Minister said under the present government, there have been successes in every sector, especially in the efforts towards making Digital Bangladesh. “The government has been able to fulfill much of its election pledges. And the reserve in the central bank has increased to 10 billion.”

AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, presidium members Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Kazi Jafarullah, Obaidul Quader, Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu, AL leader Mohammad Nasim, Home Minister Adv Sahara Khatun, Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni, were present, among others, at the meeting.