Economy / Bangladesh

ECNEC okays 13 projects worth Tk 83.33b

ECNEC okays 13 projects worth Tk 83.33b

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Wednesday approved 13 projects worth Tk 83.33 billion aimed at strengthening energy exploration, upgrading infrastructure, and supporting social development across the country. To strengthen the state-owned energy exploration comp


Japan says EPA with BD soon

Japan says EPA with BD soon

Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi has expressed optimism about signing economic partnership agreement (EPA) with Bangladesh soon. The envoy expressed the hope during a bilateral meeting with President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Taskeen Ahmed at DCCI Gulshan Cen

VAT automation stuck in foreign grip as local expertise lags

VAT automation stuck in foreign grip as local expertise lags

The country's Value Added Tax (VAT) automation has remained monopolised by Vietnamese firm FPT, as the online platform was developed on software for which there is no local expertise. The contract with FPT, signed in 2015 at a value of US$33.6 million, is the largest turnkey IT contract in Banglad

TDS nagging burden on businesses’ back

TDS nagging burden on businesses’ back

Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) turns a nagging burden for most businesses as it drives up the cost of doing business and further fuels inflation, a latest research reveals. The source-tax-impact study by the Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD) shows that the National Board of Revenue (NB

13 development projects get Ecnec nod

13 development projects get Ecnec nod

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Wednesday approved 13 development projects involving an overall estimated cost of Tk 8,333.28 crore. Of the total cost, Tk 4,437.82 crore will come from the government’s fund, Tk 1,225.36 crore as project assistance, while t

BD counts $1.78b in lost productivity

BD counts $1.78b in lost productivity

Bangladesh counts US$1.78 billion in lost productivity in a year as rising temperatures ate up about 25 million working hours in 2024 through the heat impact on health, the World Bank reveals. "The resulting economic losses are projected to be between $1.33 billion and $1.78 billion, which represe

Govt tries to defer LDC graduation by 3 years: Secy

Govt tries to defer LDC graduation by 3 years: Secy

Now the government tries for deferment of Bangladesh's LDC graduation by three years, in the wake of strong pleas particularly from the business community afraid of losing export privileges at a bad time. Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman spoke of the government move Tuesday, though he sees slim

Foreign currency reserves stand at $30.89 billion

Foreign currency reserves stand at $30.89 billion

Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserves have stood at $30.89 billion, according to the latest data of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) released on Tuesday. However, as per the International Monetary Fund (IMF) methodology under the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6), Ba

Decline in BoP deficit heralds new FY

Decline in BoP deficit heralds new FY

Bangladesh saw its balance of payments (BoP) deficit narrow in the opening month of the fiscal year 2025-26 as two props helped partly offset a sharp deterioration in the country's financial account. Last official statistics show a current-account surplus and robust remittance inflows helped out i

Further US tariff cut likely on two conditions

Further US tariff cut likely on two conditions

A visiting US trade delegation stressed expediting Bangladesh's labour-law amendment and narrowing the bilateral trade gap to pave the way for further reduction in the tariffs on Bangladeshi exports to the American market. At a discussion Monday in Dhaka, the local apparel leaders mentioned that t