Govt signals people-centric priorities but faces tough trade-offs

The interim government is going to place the proposed budget for fiscal year 2025–26 on June 2.

Low GDP growth demands political stability so as to boost investor confidence

The FY2026 budget must be more than a mere fiscal statement.

Controlling inflation should be a top priority for the interim government.

Bangladesh’s national budget for fiscal year 2024-25 is likely to be reduced by more than Tk 50,000 crore, with the entire cut expected to be made in funds meant for the annual development programme (ADP).

The interim government is planning to revise the national budget for the current fiscal year urgently and cut “wasteful expenditures” in order to alleviate the pressure on the foreign currency reserves and tame persistent inflation.

It fails to commit to reforms and address people’s sufferings

Budget admits we are in a crisis, but offers no direction out of it

Any effort at halting inequality and reversing the trend has to start from a political commitment, an understanding of the factors at work, and adoption of necessary measures to attain the goals.

The recent downgrade by Moody's of the credit ratings of Bangladesh’s economy and some private banks is not the only indicator that confidence is declining.

There is not much in it to make us feel better in terms of its focus and measures.

Can the upcoming budget in Bangladesh guide the vulnerable power and energy sectors towards economic sustainability and energy security?

Laptop users in Bangladesh are set for a bigger hit as the imposition of a 15 per cent value-added tax at the import stage of the essential digital device would lift the prices further. 

The government has proposed a 2.5 percentage point cut in corporate tax rates for the listed companies in the national budget unveiled for the next fiscal year in a bid to develop the stock market and attract investments.

The national budget for fiscal year 2022-23 predicted a gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 7.5 per cent, which is unrealistic and not objective, AB Mirza Azizul Islam, former adviser to the caretaker government, said yesterday.

We still have to wait and see how it will actually impact the market.

Bank accounts with upwards of Tk 1 crore in balance are set to face a higher excise duty next fiscal year as the government looks to collect more taxes from the relatively well-off to get close to the lofty revenue collection target.

Lack of resources is often cited as the key reason behind this.

The government is committed to using the long-overdue National Household Database (NHD) from the next fiscal year to better target the social safety net programmes, in a development that can infuse dynamism in the flat scheme.