Planning Minister MA Mannan on Sunday said that corruption has surged in numerous instances in Bangladesh.
He made these remarks in response to statements made by opposition Members of Parliament during a session at the parliament.
Prior to this, several MPs from Gano Forum and Jatiya Party had raised concerns about corruption in different projects.
The planning minister said he agrees with the opposition MPs.
MA Mannan said: “The amount of public funds being spent today is greater than it was 30-40 years ago. Consequently, I would assert that the opportunities for embezzlement have expanded significantly.
This is a nationwide issue. By enacting laws and regulations, harnessing current technology to shape public sentiment, and advocating transparency to the citizens, it is anticipated that this figure will gradually decline,” he added.
He further mentioned that his ministry approves projects worth thousands of crores of taka. The current iteration of the Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) is struggling to cope with the current volume of projects.
Planning Minister MA Mannan explained the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority Bill, 2023 was introduced to tackle this issue.
Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority Bill, 2023 was passed on Sunday in the parliament aiming to bring more dynamism to public procurement by transforming the CPTU into a full-fledged authority.
Planning Minister MA Mannan moved the bill which was unanimously passed by voice votes in the house.
Earlier on July 5, 2023, the bill was sent to the concerned parliamentary standing committee for further scrutiny.