Business Reporter :
Sheikh AR Dipu, a former director of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), has hailed the proposed budget for fiscal year 2022-23 describing it as pro-people and business and industry-friendly.
“The present government was aimed at inclusive and sustainable economic growth and so it presented a pro-people and business and industry friendly budget for the fiscal year 2022-23,” he told The New Nation yesterday.
He added, “The measures taken for power and energy and communication sectors in the proposed budget will accelerate investment, industrialization and employment generation.”
Dipu, the Managing Director of SAASCO Group, mentioned that the major commitments of the Awami League’s election manifesto have also been reflected in the proposed budged. “The budget also reflected the relentless effort of the government in creating a business friendly environment under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” he noted.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has placed Tk6,78,064 crore national budget for FY2022-23 at Jatiya Sangsad on June 9 setting top priority to safeguarding marginal people from inflation fuelled by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
This is the fourth budget of the third consecutive term of the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and also the overall 51st budget of the country.
The proposed budget is Tk74,383 crore higher than the original budget size of the FY2021-22 fiscal year, which was Tk6,03,681 crore.
Dipu also praised the government for increasing allocation in social safety net.
He, however, expressed dissatisfaction over increasing source tax on export-oriented industries and said the government should abolish the tax considering interest of the industries which earn huge foreign currencies by exporting merchandises.
When asked, Dipu said the projected 8.2 percent GDP growth and 5.5 percent inflation rate is possible to achieve. But, he suggested the government to take effective measures from the beginning to implement the annual development programme (ADP).
“The new budget would play a pivotal role in expanding investment in the private sector creating a more business friendly environment,” he added.
He also suggested that the government should keep block allocation in the proposed budget for meeting any emergency could be arisen from industrial disaster and natural calamity.
