Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed. -File Photo

 
DHAKA, March 25, 2025 (BSS) – Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed 
today said that the next national budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 
(FY26) would put higher emphasis on private sector investment and 
employment generation. 
 
“We'll have to increase employment generation to a larger extent. We 
will take necessary initiative in the upcoming budget for increasing 
private sector investment and employment generation,” he said this 
while speaking at the pre-budget meeting with the Economic Reports’ 
Forum (ERF) held at the Bangladesh Secretariat in the city. 
 
In the upcoming budget, the finance adviser mentioned that the 
government will provide special focus on infrastructure development, 
construction of educational institutions buildings and river 
management. 
 
He, however, said that a 'Bank Resolution Act' will be enacted to 
bring transparency and accountability in the banking sector. 
 
In the meeting, ERF President Doulot Akter Mala presented 28 proposals 
on behalf of ERF, prioritizing economic stability instead of focusing 
on increasing GDP growth in the next fiscal year. 
 
She said that it is important to restore stability in the banking 
sector and keep foreign exchange reserves stable before LDC 
graduation. 
 
She called on the government to pay maximum attention in reducing 
inflation in the next fiscal year and to break the existing syndicate 
in market management and supply chain and to stop all types of 
extortion. 
 
During the meeting, the ERF has proposed raising the tax-free income 
limit for individual taxpayers to Tk5 lakh, citing inflationary 
pressures. 
 
ERF urged the removal of excise duty on deposits between Tk5 lakh and 
Tk10 lakh and a reduction in taxes on profits to encourage bank 
savings. 
 
ERF suggested capping the tax rate on essential commodities, 
education, and medical supplies at 5%, and introducing a separate 
revenue policy for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to ease access 
to bond benefits. 
 
Besides, it proposed setting a flat 7% VAT rate to simplify tax 
calculations and reduce collection inefficiencies.