To forge policy recommendations for the government in preparation for the national budget announcement, the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) convened a round table discussion on Tuesday.
The discussants highlighted and expressed the country's keen anticipation of the government's response to various global challenges, including climate change, inflation, and policy uncertainties, reads a press release.
They pointed out the need for increased funding to meet the commitment for UN Sustainable Development Goals and ultimately achieve the country’s strategic objectives.
The discussion also covered the need for nuanced adjustments in fiscal and monetary policies to address issues such as exchange rate stability, currency policy, and balancing export-import dynamics. The importance of encouraging household savings, broadening the tax base, enhancing reserve buffers, and controlling the prices of daily commodities were also highlighted.
Waseqa Ayesha Khan, State Minister of Finance, joined the discussion as the chief guest.
She said, “To ensure economic prosperity, the government is planning to emphasize on controlling inflation, increase in reserve and remittance, increase export revenue, explore new markets for export, create investment friendly environment, and uninterrupted electricity and power supply.”
She also assured the government's plan to continue infrastructural and ICT development, human resource development, and short- and long-term revenue strategy.
The discussion was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Md. Salim Uddin FCMA, President of ICMAB, and moderated by Arif Khan FCMA, past president and current council member of the institute.
Professor Dr. Mohammed Farashuddin, former Governor of Bangladesh Bank and Chief Advisor of East West University; Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur, Executive Director of the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh; and Mr. Mahbubul Alam, President of FBCCI, participated in the program as the special guests along with a diverse panel of experts from academia, research institutes, business leadership, and professional chambers.