PM hints at solving budget debates

Amid concerns of the business community and the general public about some provisions of tax, and VAT and excise duty in the proposed budget for fiscal 2017-18, prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said her government will look into those for finding out solutions.

“We’ve given the highest-ever budget in the country’s history amounting Tk 4,00,266 crore. There’ll will be discussions on the proposed budget in parliament …there might be some problems for some people. We’ll look into and resolve those,” the PM said.

The prime minister was addressing the joint Iftar and Doa Mahfil 2017 of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) at the Jatiya Press Club.

Information minister Hasanul Haq Inu, PM’s media adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) president Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, secretary general Omar Faruq, Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) president Shaban Mahmood also spoke at the programme moderated by DUJ secretary Sohel Haider Chowdhury.

Sheikh Hasina also reiterated her vow to make the country a hunger- and poverty-free mid-income country by 2021 and developed one in South Asia by 2041.

On Thursday last, finance minister AMA Muhith unveiled a Tk 4,00,226 crore ambitious budget for the next fiscal year (2017-18) with a growth target of 7.4 per cent, expecting to open up a new horizon for Bangladesh through some initiatives ahead of the next general election.

Despite widespread concerns from the business community, Muhith proposed that the uniform VAT will be 15 per cent over the next three years.

Besides, the finance minister at a post-budget press conference on Friday also said the decision of imposing excise duty on bank account in the proposed budget will not be cancelled as the people who keep Tk 1 lakh or its up in banks are affluent enough in society.

Accounts with balance between Tk 1 lakh and Tk 10 lakh may be slapped with Tk 800 excise tax at any time of the year.

Source: Prothom Alo