These measures are a slap in the face of honest taxpayers who diligently pay taxes on their legitimate income every year.

The government’s target for borrowing from the banking system in the next fiscal year is set to surpass the Tk 1 lakh crore mark for the second consecutive year amid the twin difficulties of raging inflation and shrinking foreign reserves.

The government is far away from achieving the major targets set for the current fiscal year when the national budget was unveiled in June last year, owing to its failures to assess the global scenario before fixing the goals, experts said.    

Economists yesterday stressed on addressing the persistently high inflation, macroeconomic stability and low revenue base in the pre-budget session for the upcoming fiscal year with the finance minister.