Muhith says MPO is bad scheme, asks MPs to rethink

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has asked the MPs to consider whether to continue with the monthly payment order or MPO scheme for private educational institutions, terming it a ‘bad programme’.

Bangladesh Tarikat Federation leader Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizvandary MP raised the issue in parliament on Tuesday as teachers and employees of non-MPO institutions are demonstrating in Dhaka for weeks demanding inclusion of their institutions in the programme.

Muhith said he has allocated money for inclusion of new institutions under MPO in the budget for 2018-19 fiscal year.

“But I have something more to say. Including institutions in MPO is a bad programme,” he said.   

He said paying the salaries of some teachers and employees “cannot be a good programme for development of education”.

Stipends and school-feeding programmes work are better than MPO, according to the finance minister.    

“Why don’t you (MPs) pay more attention to these? Why do you try to include more institutions in MPO?” he asked.

Under the MPO programme, the government pays the basic salaries of teachers and employees of listed educational institutions following recommendations by MPs.

“There has been much dupery in MPO programme. Our education minister (Nurul Islam Nahid) has worked well to lower the number of such incidents. But it’s not a good programme,” Muhith said.

“It’s my personal view. Now it’s for you to consider (whether to continue MPO),” he added.