Budget: Higher allocation, lower spending

Bangladesh is set to see its 52nd budget as the Finance Minister is expected to place it in the national parliament next Thursday with an even bigger figure of outlay of Tk 7.5 trillion. The proposed annual public spending for...

A concerted, coordinated effort must for macroeconomic management

The assessment of key macroeconomic correlates of Bangladesh being carried out by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) as part of its flagship Independent Review of Bangladesh Development (IRBD) programme comes at a crucial juncture in the country's development journey....

SPM work nearing completion

CHATTOGRAM, May 26: Construction of the Single Point Mooring (SPM) project in Cox's Bazar Moheshkhali area is reaching its final stages, with around 97 per cent of the project completed. The remaining work is expected to be finished by the...

Ctg customs miss revenue target amid declining imports

CHATTOGRAM, May 26: The Chattogram Customs House fell short of its revenue collection target during the first ten months of FY23, according to sources, as a decline in imports has been cited as one of the key reasons.The Chattogram customs...

China's leadership in the 'new world order'

Only the United States continues to dominate world politics after the fall of Soviet Union. After the fall of Great Russia, no other power has been able to come up against the United States in strength and cunning.China is making...

Socio-economic benefits of taxable marriages

Levying a tax on marriage gives a bad taste in the mouth. It is like spoiling a happy party. But when marriages are somehow questionable and at times a craze or just a fun game, perhaps no one, except the...

EZ investors likely to lose some baits

Investors in Bangladesh’s economic zones may lose some fiscal benefits as the government moves to ensure level playing field for the others who have invested outside the EZs.The budget for the upcoming fiscal year (FY) may impose taxes on import...

A new dimension to campaign against dengue

It is a losing battle against dengue. If the year 2019 was the worst year in terms of dengue infection and death, this year's early signs are even more ominous. This is high summer, albeit interspersed with rains, and the...

Govt mulls trimming food subsidy with programme integration

The government is considering options to reduce its subsidy from the Food Friendly Programme (FFP) by cutting two-thirds of the volume of rice provided to beneficiaries, according to sources.Besides, there have been recommendations for the amalgamation of TCB's sales drives...

NBFIs see income diminish as they offer higher rates to depositors

Non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) had to narrow the gap between borrowing and lending rates to stay in business, which inevitably took away a major chunk of their profits in the January-March quarter, compared to the same quarter last year. This...

Hiroshima 2023 ... and power struggle in Pakistan

Things strange have lately been happening around the world. It all makes you wonder what could be going wrong, at least in the realm of politics and diplomacy. With all the consequences of climate change before us --- sudden floods,...

Dealing with politically-exposed persons in a financial system

Money laundering from Bangladesh poses a serious threat to the financial stability of the country. It exposes the weakness of our financial system in checking financial crimes, resulting in low credibility of the country’s financial system, in particular the banking...

Direct tax regime getting facelift

Bangladesh is getting a full-fledged income-tax law after 39 years from July with an updated direct-tax regime shifting government reliance on import taxes that make imported goods costlier.The changes in direct tax measures would come through ‘The Income Tax Law...

BSEC orders probe as Oimax share price surges 48pc in a month

The auditor of the Oimex Electrode gave qualified opinion on the company's financial statements for fiscal year (FY) 2022, saying that the liability amount of the company could not be confirmed due to non-availability of details of tax base.The auditor's...

Banishing protective duties begins with next budget

Industries ought to learn how to run sans tariff protection attuned with Bangladesh’s LDC graduation as banishing protective duties begins with the next budget, sources say, as probative taxing of imposts creates price distortions. They have said the government has...

Intraco expects yearly turnover to rise threefold after gas supply deal

Intraco Refueling Station is expected to see its annual turnover rise threefold as it begins to supply compressed natural gas (CNG) to industrial areas of Gazipur and Bhaluka in the next three to four months. It has already inked a...

Thai people's move to change

Last week's general election (held on May 14) in Thailand has sent a strong message across the region. The message is about change. And as the election result showed, it is the young voters of the country who promise to...

Bangladesh amid the worldwide de-dollarisation process

The world is going through a rapid transition in recent times, especially since the Russia-Ukraine war started. Europe is facing a devastating war experience for the first time since the end of World War II. From economic dominance to interstate...

Budgetary baits recommended for industries to recycle RMG waste

A package of fiscal facilities in the upcoming budget is recommended as imperative to enable emerging recycled cotton-fibre industries in Bangladesh to tap huge potential in apparel export, sources said.Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (BTTC) has made the recommendation to...

Investors' increased appetite for insurance stocks beyond belief

Most insurers, especially non-life ones, have been flying on the Dhaka Stock Exchange for the last 15 trading sessions, achieving double digit price gains. The rally happened because of, insiders say, a rumour that motor vehicle insurance would be made...

Onion is proving much too stinging

The authorities are harping on the same tune for quite some time: if price of onion does not come down, arrangement will be made for import of this essential item. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi tried to be a little more...

Inflation, the main concern

The best indicator of any economy is the common people's standard of living. So, from that point of view, it cannot be said that the economy of the country is performing well. To be frank, the per capita income as...

Users may get some succour

Woes of passengers of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) are likely to go with building road infrastructure within and outside the airport through integration with different projects.However, sources said late integration has slowed down the implementation of the projects,...

Intel agency for full govt control on lifesaving drugs

Establishing full government control on lifesaving drugs' prices and low-duty import of necessary raw materials are among a package recommendation made in a probe report on the overheated medicine market in Bangladesh. Sources have said a government intelligence agency has...

Hajj economy is set to rebound

Three years after pandemic-related restrictions, Hajj is going to be performed on a full scale in the current season as some 2.0 million pilgrims from across the world are set to attend the five-day-long rituals. It was in 2019, the...

SME board begins bulk trading today to give a boost to daily turnover

The SME board of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) will begin block trading today to facilitate bulk share transactions one and a half years after the introducing of the platform.The features of block trades on the SME board will be...

BSC move to buy six box ships fails to gather steam

A shipping corporation effort to buy six container vessels is gathering dust as the relevant government authorities are not clearing a loan proposal to fund the procurement, according to officials.To this end, the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) signed a memorandum...

Bicycle export to Germany faces blow

Bangladeshi-made bicycle export to its largest market Germany is facing a blow following German imposition of anti-dumping duty with other tariffs suspecting its Bangladeshi origin, sources said.Presently, Bangladesh alone earns around 25 per cent of its total bicycle export volume...

Bay Terminal construction likely to begin this year

CHATTOGRAM, May 19: The construction of the Bay Terminal, a long-awaited project of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), is likely to begin this year. CPA Secretary Omar Faruk said, "The construction of Bay Terminal may begin around this year after...

The Peace Cafe model

The relationship between peace-building and international development, even though these fields have functioned separately for years, is now quite well known. Communication plays a significant role in shaping views and building opinions on conflict, which is why it is often...