Finance Minister AMA Muhith said Thursday the difference in the current fiscal year's revised budget from the original one would not be that significant.
"We are reviewing the budget, but there is a big difference of opinion among us," the minister said while briefing a group of reporters after the second meeting of the Coordination Council on Financial, Currency and Currency Exchange.
Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman and Bank and Financial Institutions Division Secretary M Aslam Alam also attended the meeting.
The economic losses caused by the political turmoil in the past were not as big as it was estimated, Mr Muhith said.
The minister stuck to his estimate of GDP (gross domestic product) growth rate at 6.3 per cent saying: "I am still confident about the projected growth"
The actual GDP growth projection for the current fiscal year 2013-14 was 7.2 per cent, but the minister earlier hinted that it might not fall below 6.3 per cent.
Global development partners like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) earlier forecasted that the GDP growth rate might fall to 5.7 per cent.
Sources said the government might reduce the annual budget size by Tk 180 billion in the current fiscal due to the economic losses caused by the political turmoil during last few months.
Besides, the projected rate of inflation may be fixed at 7.5 per cent from the previous estimate of 7.0 per cent and the target of budget deficit may be re-fixed at 5 per cent from the earlier target of 4.5 per cent.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) could collect Tk 490 billion in revenue in the first six months of the current fiscal against the target of Tk 557 billion.
No significant change in revised budget : Muhith
FE Report | Published: February 07, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
Share if you like