The country's export earnings and import payments may advance in the foreseeable future, aided by the current peaceful political situation, an elite chamber has said.
The Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka projected that export receipts may reach US$ 3.56 billion at the end of February and $ 3.69 billion by the end of March next.
Also, the country's import value is expected to increase to $ 5.50 billion by this month-end and it may reach $ 5.61 billion at the end of March, 2018, it predicted.
"It is assumed that the peaceful political situation that currently prevails will continue in the coming days. Therefore, export, import, and remittances can be expected to increase," the chamber said in a review.
The projections came at the "Review of Economic Situation in Bangladesh" for the October-December period of 2017.
The chamber also projected an upward trend in the inflow of remittances for the months of February and March, 2018.
In contrast, foreign exchange reserve would fall in January and March, which is a regular annual feature occasioned by payments to the Asian Clearing Union (ACU) against imports.
The volume of inward remittances may rise to $ 1.41 billion at the end of the current month and $ 1.52 billion by the end of March, according to the MCCI projections.
But the rate of inflation is likely to go up from January because of the probable rise in some essential commodities, including fuel oil.
The rate of inflation may stand at 5.95 per cent and 5.95 per cent at the end of February and March, 2018 respectively, according to the MCCI.
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