DHAKA: Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Thursday said the government expects to implement a separate child budget on pilot basis from FY 2015-16.

“There are demands being raised from various quarters for separate child budget. Some concrete recommendations are there as well to make it operational,” he said.

Muhith made the disclosure in his budget speech for the fiscal year 2014-15 at the parliament on Thursday.

In his speech, he added: “Appropriate measures will … be there to stop violence and discrimination against children.”

Muhith said, “We noticed with great concern that in the run up to the last national parliamentary election, several religious groups and opposition political parties used innocent children in political violence and hostility. I would like to state firmly that we strongly oppose using children in violent activities and we will crush any such attempt in future.”

He also said, “We will also update the ‘National Children Policy’ in accordance with the UN convention on the rights of the children.”

He also said, “We expect to implement it (separate child budget) on pilot basis from FY 2015-16.”

However, minister proposed to allocate Tk. 50 crore for the projects for children welfare in the budget for FY 2014-15.

With a target of attaining a higher GDP growth of 7.3 percent in the fiscal year, Finance Minister AMA Muhith placed the budget for fiscal year 2014-15 in the Parliament on Thursday.

Setting a tax revenue target Tk 182,954 crore, the minister proposed a Tk 250,506-crore annual budget outlays.

BDST: 2040 HRS, JUN 05, 2014