UNB, Dhaka :
The country’s overall annual inflation (from July 2013-June 2014) marked a rise to 7.35 percent on point to point basis against 6.78 percent during the same period of last fiscal year (July 2012- June 2013).
However, the monthly inflation on point to point basis showed a declining trend as it stands at 6.97 percent in June 2014 against 7.48 percent in the previous month (May).
Planning Minister AHM Mostafa Kamal gave the figures while briefing the reporters on the overall inflation situation at the Planning Commission’s NEC meeting room.
He also informed that the food inflation in June experienced a fall as it went down to 8 percent from 9.09 percent in May this year. But the non-food inflation showed an upward trend with 5.45 percent in June and 5.16 percent in May this year.
The Planning Minister said that the Eid-centric buy pressure of clothes and other items has been the main reason behind the increase of inflation in the month of June. “The people are now buying more non-food items than food items. The inflation in non-food item may go up further.”
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) director general Golam Mostafa Kamal, however, said that the inflation of food items is also on the rise, but the trend is relatively lower than the previous year.
About the implementation of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) of the last fiscal year, the Planning Minister said that so far, most of the ministries achieved 86 percent of their target as per interim report.
He believed that the total rate of implementation could reach 96 percent when the final figure is out, saying that performance of the most of the important and large ministries was satisfactory as they achieved target over 86 percent.
Minister Mostafa Kamal said the country’s poverty is declining fast, with its rate at 26 percent while the hardcore poverty is at 13 percent. “The government hopes that there will be no poor found in next five years if poverty reduction runs in such a good pace.”
He said the people’s life expectancy is increasing due to reduction of poverty. Now Bangladeshi people’s average life is 69 while India’s life expectancy is 65.
