Muhith rules out ambitious target in next budget

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith Sunday said there would be no ambitious target in the next national budget.

He also said the budget size is likely to be in between Tk 4.60 trillion Tk 4.75 trillion.

"We'll won't keep any ambitious target in the next national budget for FY19 as it will be an election year........the tentative figures for the budget is around Tk 4.60 trillion to Tk 4.75 trilllion," he said.

The finance minister said it at a pre-budget meeting with the members of four parliamentary standing committees at the NEC conference room in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area, as per a BSS report.

Members of parliamentary standing committee on Finance, Planning, Public Accounts and Public Undertakings put forward their various suggestions before the finance minister in the meeting.

State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan and secretaries concerned were also present at the meeting.

Muhith said human development would continue to be the highest priority in the next budget followed by education, health, and water supply.

"But, in terms of allocation, transport and energy would get the highest allocation," he added.

Based on the performance of the revised budget for current fiscal year, the minister said the revenue generation scenario is good compared to the previous years and expected it to continue.

Muhith said although there is usual trend of shortfall in the implementation of development budget, but the implementation of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) in the first eight months of the current fiscal year is quite encouraging.

ADP implementation in the first eight months is 35 per cent.