Loan defaulters are going to get caught as the government moves to fix macroeconomic problems and increase foreign-exchange inflow, the finance minister said Sunday, ahead of his first test in authoring budget.
"I want to grab the defaulters," Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali told reporters after a meeting with International Monetary Fund (IMF) executive director Krishnamurthy Venkata Subramanian at his secretariat office in Dhaka.
Asked whether he would be able to take such tough action as the defaulters are very powerful, the finance minister said: "Let's see what happens."
At this stage, he hastened to refer to the actions taken against a former police chief whose assets have been ordered for confiscation.
The government has support for the actions taken against Benazir Ahmed, he said, as a latest attachment order came on the day.
Moreover, he said, a former army chief has also been sanctioned by the United States on charges of his involvement in graft.
"Bangladesh Army will take action against him," said the minister.
Asked about the challenges facing the upcoming budget, the minister listed issues like containing inflation, increasing foreign- currency reserves and generating revenue in an increased volume.
Mr Ali said: "There are some problems in our economy and we will have to overcome those." Steps will be taken in the next budget to address the problems.
Replying to a query, the minister said the government is trying to come out from contractionary budget, notwithstanding suggestions from economists and development partners for continuing on austerity stance.
The finance minister-who is doing an onerous task of making his maiden budget for Bangladesh after the January election, amid a hangover of financial crunch-also said the government would take various steps in the next budget to materialise various commitments made in the election manifesto of the ruling Awami League.
Regarding his meeting with the IMF executive director, against the backdrop of its loan-package review, the finance minister said the steps taken by the government for a rebound in the economy were in the right direction.
Mr Ali said the 3rd tranche of the total $4.7-billion IMF loan to Bangladesh would be available within June.
As regards forex-boosting plans he said the government has been trying to increase the inflow of US dollars and necessary negotiations are underway in this regard.
On newsmen's access to Bangladesh Bank, the minister said there is no central bank in the world which is open to journalists.
When his attention was drawn that journalists in other counties do not need to enter central bank since almost all sorts of important information, including latest data and meeting minutes, are available on their websites, the minister said he would discuss the matter.
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