Inflation at 5.0pc not impossible sans printed money

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Ahsan H. Mansur says limiting inflation within 5.0 per cent is not an impossible task if there be no need for printing money to fund development recipe.

To make it happen, he underlines continuous efforts and policy predictability.

"If we continue printing money and say inflation is not falling, it won't work. We have to be strict in policies. It is taking time to bring down inflation but it will gradually come down," the central-bank governor said Thursday.

He made the observations while inaugurating the Banker-Women Entrepreneur Conference and Product Showcasing Fair 2025 on the Bangla Academy premises in the capital.

Speaking as the chief guest at the four-day exhibition, the governor struck a note of optimism about the inflation combat, saying that bringing down inflation to 4-5 per cent is not impossible with continuous government efforts and policy consistency.

"We can implement many programmes using the print money but the inflation will not be reduced," he said.

Sharing recent trend of inflation, he said the country recorded food and non-food inflation at 14.50 per cent and 12.50 per cent respectively. Now, both food and non-food inflation rates dropped to 8.50 per cent and just over 9.0 per cent respectively.

Mr Mansur, who took charge as the central bank's governor soon after the changeover in state power after the July-August mass uprising, told his audience that there are many barriers for the women to avail formal credits. So, the country needs to find ways to take women progress ahead.

Sharing data, the top executive of the banking regulator said the women are currently getting only 6.0 per cent of the entire loans in the banking industry, which is not realistic at all.

They want to increase the share of loans of the womenfolk but not by using the central-bank funds because it will create inflation-fuelling fresh money circulation.

The commercial banks will have to lend to the important community from their own funds, considering their constitutional rights.

The central bank's SME & Special Programmes Department has organised the exhibition where BB deputy governor Nurun Nahar, executive director Md Khasru Parvez, City Bank MD and CEO Mashrur Arefin, and BB's SME and Special Programmes Department Director Nawshad Mustafa were among others present.

A total of 68 women entrepreneurs from different parts of the country are exhibiting their products at the fair. Of them, six entrepreneurs will be awarded on the final day of the event.

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