UNICEF calls Bangladesh to allocate one-fifth of national budget for Children by 2020

Debasish Shom

By

Sheuli Akter

UNICEF has urged Bangladesh to increase the proportion of national budget allocation for child-related initiatives from 14 per cent in 2016 to 20 per cent by 2020.

The call was made at the launch of “Shishuder Budget Patth Shohaika (Child Friendly Version of the National Budget of Bangladesh’)”, a joint publication prepared by the Finance Division and UNICEF Bangladesh.

“The national budget is an important instrument in ensuring adequate and equitable resource allocation for children. It is now increasingly acknowledged that children hold the key to development. No investment will be more effective and efficient than to invest in children to give them a good start in life,” said UNICEF Bangladesh Representative, Edouard Beigbeder.

While urging the government to increase the proportion of national budget allocation for child-related initiatives, Beigbeder also suggested the establishment of a permanent Child Focus Budget Unit at the Finance Division to provide technical support to all other relevant ministries/agencies.

The publication has been prepared to increase awareness on public finance processes among adolescent boys and girls and the impact it has on their well being. The Finance Division, with the assistance of the Ministry of Education, has decided to distribute and discuss the contents of the publication in all secondary educational institutions to empower adolescents to contribute more in raising their needs in a systematic manner while having consultation with them on budgetary discussions in coming years.

At the same time, the Finance Division with the support of UNICEF is enhancing the capacity of seven ministries (e.g. Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Ministry of Social Welfare, and Local Government.

Sheuli Akter

Sheuli Akter, from Bangladesh, is a Special Correspondent and Editor of NsNewsWire, (Bangladesh’s First Press Newswire). Previously she had worked for Bangladesh’ top news agency, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) and top newspaper (now defunct) The Bangladesh Observer. She also gained an honourable mention in the first ever World Media Summit WMS Awards for ‘Exemplary News Professionals in Developing Countries’, receiving the award in Beijing in January 2015.