Inflation to settle between 6-7pc by June: Salehuddin

NN Online:

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed on Tuesday expressed optimism that the general point-to-point inflation rate in Bangladesh will decrease to between 6-7 per cent by June.

“It will take another two to three months for inflation to decrease as government measures take effect. If we can bring price hikes down to 6-7 per cent by June, we will consider it satisfactory,” he said.

The adviser said this after a meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase (ACCGP) at the city’s secretariat.

Salehuddin said further steps would be taken to stabilise the prices of essential commodities during the holy month of Ramadan.

Acknowledging that high inflation is causing difficulties, he said several initiatives have already been implemented to address the issue.

The adviser also said inflation cannot be reduced overnight and requires coordinated efforts.

“We have held discussions with Bangladesh Bank (BB) and commercial banks. They have assured us that the required US dollars will be made available to facilitate fuel imports, fertilisers, rice, and edible oil,” he said.

The commerce ministry is also engaging with business leaders to stabilise prices, he added.

The general point-to-point inflation rate in Bangladesh slightly eased in December last as it reached 10.89 per cent down from 11.38 per cent in November, 2024.