Home budget of 7 June 2018-19 budget will be presented: Finance Minister

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith has said that the budget for the next fiscal year will be presented in the Parliament on 7th June, 2018-19.

Referring to the current budget of the present government, she said, this budget size will be 4 lakh 60 thousand crore.

The Finance Minister said this while talking to the members of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) of the board of directors at his office on Monday. DCCI president Abul Kashem Khan led the Dhaka Chamber at the meeting.

During this time, Muhith said that the budget will give priority to education, health, drainage, energy and power and infrastructures.

Referring to the success of the present government's poverty reduction, she said, the poverty rate in the country is currently around 2.4% of the population. But the percent of the people are in the extreme poverty range, he said.

The Finance Minister said that the government is paying more attention to the expansion of social safety net for reducing the number of people suffering from poverty.

Regarding the defaulting loan in the banking sector, he said, there are many problems of public sector banks. However, these banks participate in various programs of government for the development of marginalized people.

Referring to the high rate of corporate tax in Bangladesh, the Finance Minister said, the issue of gradual reduction is under the active consideration of the government.

He said that the contribution of the ready-made garments sector to continue to grow for several years and there is a bright possibility of export of leather goods in the overseas countries.

The Finance Minister said that the implementation of the new pay structure of government officials and employees has resulted in corruption being reduced and it is expected that corruption will fall significantly in the next 5 to 10 years. He said the reduction in the interest of savings certificate is under the government's active consideration.