Staff Reporter :
Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed has stated that the upcoming national budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 will not rely on extensive bank borrowing or money printing. Instead, the government will pursue a prudent fiscal policy, focusing on realistic planning and moderate spending.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday following a meeting of the Advisory Council Committee on Government Purchase at the Secretariat, which he chaired, the Adviser said, “We will not leave a large gap or deficit in implementing the budget. The Annual Development Plan (ADP) for
FY26 will be grounded in realism.”
He added, “The budget will be implemented sensibly, not with a significant deficit. We will execute development projects based on practical considerations. There will be no excessive borrowing for mega projects, nor will the budget be financed by printing money or borrowing from the banking sector.”
Dr Ahmed acknowledged that some level of deficit would be inevitable. “To bridge the gap, we are in discussions with development partners, including the IMF and the World Bank. So far, the negotiations have been quite encouraging.”
In response to a question on whether the forthcoming budget would be smaller than that of the previous year, the Finance Adviser commented, “That will become clear in due course.”
At the meeting, the committee approved 10 out of 12 procurement proposals submitted by various ministries. Among the approved items were the import of a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Gunvor Singapore and the procurement of 11 million litres of rice bran oil at Tk 161 per litre for the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), under a proposal from the Ministry of Commerce.
