Interim govt aims for realistic next budget: Bashir Uddin

Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin today said that the goal of the interim government is to deliver the next budget for FY26 based on reality and thus to establish justice.

“The goal of this government is to deliver the next budget based on reality and thus establish justice. We’re not vying for making an expenditure-based budget rather a goal-based budget,” he said.

The Commerce Adviser was addressing the 45th consultative committee meeting of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) as the special guest ahead of the budget for the next fiscal year (FY26) at a hotel in the capital today.

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed spoke as the chief guest while Executive Chairman of BEZA and BIDA Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun spoke as the guest of honour.

Presided over by NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan, Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission Chairman Dr Moinul Khan also spoke at the event moderated by FBCCI Administrator Md Hafizur Rahman.

Criticizing severely the previous AL regime for observing ‘festivals of expenditure’ centering the national budget, Bashir said that many chronics were created during that fascist regime while a huge amount of expenditure was made during that time in projects, which were unreasonable citing examples of ministries that he is now in charge of.

Before blaming the government for lower tax to GDP ratio, the Commerce Adviser urges the business community to carry out surveys within their business entities to ensure tax compliance.

Noting that the revenue board has always been given the task for generating additional revenues every year, he said that it is the responsibility of all to create a collective forum where the business community could engage themselves with the government.

Relating to the various issues on AT, AIT, refund issues, bond related issues, Bashir said, “We need to find the maturity within ourselves while the solutions to such problems should be done in an integrated way,”

He said that if mutual trust is created among the NBR and the business community on such issues through collective engagement, then it would be possible to ensure tax justice in the society. “Otherwise, there will be criminalization in the society,”

Urging the business community to select appropriate representatives in the trade bodies, the Commerce Adviser said that through this, a just-based society could be made for all.

Executive Chairman of the BEZA and BIDA Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun said that creating jobs is a big issue while there is no alternative for investments in this regard.

He said that the interim government wants that the business community would do their business operations not the government.

Ashik said that with the launching of the National Single Window and the Authorised Economic Operators, the business operations would become much easier in the coming days.

He also suggested the business community to come up with recommendations on structural reforms.

Mentioning that the government has been focusing on the ease of doing business in the next budget, NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan said that through this it would be possible to build trust among the revenue board and the business community through addressing the operational problems. In this regard, digitization is playing its part, he added.

He said that efforts are there in the next budget to give comfort to the compliant taxpayers through necessary rationalization. “Although there won’t be total reflection, but the compliant taxpayers will get a signal,”
Rahman also underscored the need for taking continuous efforts to prevent revenue leakages.

Citing that the interim government proved to be emphatic enough on various issues, the NBR Chairman said that the revenue board would work with all the concerned stakeholders since the goal is same, reports BSS.

He also hinted the possibility of making single rate of VAT if the business community comes with positive response.