The finance ministry from today will start discussions with economic think-tanks, business bodies and non-governmental organisations as a part of its preparation for the next financial year鈥檚 budget.
On the opening day, it will hold a meeting with economists and think-tanks at the state guest house Padma at 4:00pm, said officials, adding that the meeting聽 would be presided over by finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed.
The ministry has already invited eminent economist Rehman Sobhan and expects economists from the Centre for Policy Dialogue, Policy Research Institute, and Research and Policy Integration for Development to attend the meeting and express their views.
Former finance secretaries Zakir Ahmed Khan, now the chairman of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation, Mohammad Tareque and Mahbub Ahmed are expected to take part in the discussion.
On March 19, the finance ministry will hold a meeting with editors of the newspapers and electronic media in this regard.
The finance ministry will also hold pre-budget discussions with trade bodies, other think-tanks and NGOs in the process of formulating the FY2025鈥�26 national budget.
The finance adviser is expected to announce the budget on June 5 through a televised address in absence of a parliament.
The parliament remains dissolved since after the ouster of the authoritarian Awami League regime on August 5, 2024, amid a mass uprising.
This will be the first budget for the interim government that assumed power on August 8.
It is expected that the national budget for the forthcoming FY26 would focus on the reform initiatives of the interim government aiming at ensuring good governance and eradicating poverty to achieve an inclusive economic growth.
Current finance secretary Khairuzzaman Mozumder has already asked ministries and divisions to send information linked to reform programmes taken by the current government.
In the past week, the Finance Division revised down the outgoing FY2024鈥�25 budget by Tk 53,000 crore to Tk 7,44,000 crore due to resource shortages.
The Awami League led government announced an outlay of Tk 7,97,000 crore for the FY25.
The major cut in the FY25 budget is attributed to downsizing the annual development programme by Tk 49,000 crore.
In the past week, the National Economic Council in a meeting revised down the ADP to Tk 2,16,000 crore from Tk 2,65,000 crore.
Earlier in December 2024, a meeting of the coordination council on macro-economy and resource management revised down the growth rate of the country鈥檚 gross domestic product to 5.2 per cent from earlier projection of 6.8 per cent for FY2024鈥�25.
