Budget eyes equality-based society with $12,500 per capita income

The proposed budget for the fiscal 2023-24 has projected to establish a society based on justice and equality under 'Smart Bangladesh' by the year 2041 when most of the economic indicators will be favourable including per capita income of at least $12,500.

"In our Smart Bangladesh, the per capita income will be at least US$ 12,500; less than 3 per cent of people will be below the poverty line and extreme poverty will be reduced to zero," Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said while pronouncing the budget.

Inflation rate will be limited between four and five per cent, while the budget deficit will remain below five per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), he said and added the revenue-GDP ratio will be above 20 per cent.

"We will achieve 100 per cent digital economy and science and technology-based literacy," he said. The proposed budget also projected that the healthcare as well as all the services required by the citizens will be at their doorsteps, including automatic communication system and sustainable urbanisation.

A paperless and cashless society will be created, it said.

Most importantly, a society based on justice and equality will be established in Smart Bangladesh, it added.

The country's progress so far in all areas-- including economic, social, political, cultural, scientific and infrastructural-- laid a sustainable foundation for a developed-prosperous-smart Bangladesh by 2041, the proposed budget said.

The dreams of Smart Bangladesh will be realised based on four main pillars such as smart citizen, smart government, smart society and smart economy.

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