There is no questioning the role that digitization has played for Bangladesh’s progress; ever since “Digital Bangladesh” was first announced about a decade and a half ago, Bangladesh has been on an upward trajectory, and much of that can be attributed to the technological advancements made, particularly in service delivery within the public sector.
To that end, we are pleased to learn of the reforms in the integrated budget and account system (iBAS++) that the government is implementing, and which is projected to save an astonishing Tk59,804 crore over the next five years.
The iBAS++ is essentially automation of electronic fund transfers for numerous services, including paying pensions, salaries, fixation, challan, and social benefits. Millions of Bangladeshis, from pensioners to students to those under the social safety net program, are already benefiting from it.
These are the sorts of initiatives that are fit for a nation that is looking to graduate in the next couple of years, and one that harbours ambitions of becoming a developed nation in less than two decades.
However, we have some ways to go before our public financial management (PFM) systems are where we need them to be; despite implementing reforms mostly with support from donor agencies, there remain irregularities within, which need to be dealt with as soon as possible.
Issues such as misaligned plans and budgets have long held back numerous initiatives in the country from reaching their full potential. Therefore, given the projected benefits to the country with regard to the successful implementation of these reforms, we hope they are treated with the seriousness they warrant.
Automation and technological advancements will only become more and more ubiquitous, and it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that these are harnessed for the good of all people, so that we can successfully become the prosperous, equitable nation we aspire to be.