Embassy says after US delegation meets foreign adviser
As Bangladesh enters a new era following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, which ruled over the nation for 15 years and is responsible for countless financial wrongdoings, the need of the hour is to reform the overall system of governance.
Amid worker unrest and insecurity in the industrial sector, entrepreneurs and bankers have urged the new administration to focus on rebuilding confidence in the economy.
These incidents may have a serious impact on the economy
Imports, remittances and forex reserves are likely to increase, the leading chamber says
The panel gets 90 days to prepare and submit the paper
Govt should overhaul ailing sectors, ensure accountability
Economic activities are finally returning to normal after three weeks of upheaval as both garment and non-garment factories started operations in full swing yesterday, according to industry insiders.
The priorities of newly appointed finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed should be to make key financial institutions functional immediately, control inflation, and present accurate data on exports, imports, GDP and important economic indicators, economists said.
Bangladesh has averted a potential major crisis by reaching out to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a timely manner, said Kaushik Basu, a former chief economist of the World Bank.
The record subsidy allocation of Tk 82,745 crore is set to be topped up with another Tk 27,360 crore in the revised budget in the face of demands from ministries even after the notable price hike of gas, electricity and fuel.
By removing the floor price for nearly half of the companies listed in the country in December while retaining the regulatory measure for the rest, the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has effectively moved to a dual system.
Bangladesh’s stock market had a lackluster year in 2022 after posting double-digit returns for the previous two years. Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSEX), the broad market index of the country, fell 8.1 per cent in 2022, while daily average turnover fell by 35 per cent.
IMF loan cannot be the only factor behind much-needed structural changes
The ongoing dollar shortage in the banking sector is posing a threat to local textile millers and spinners as they are in trouble in opening letters of credit (LCs) to import raw materials and cotton to feed the country’s readymade garment industry.
The government is expecting the shrinking foreign currency reserves will buck the trend and hit $37.7 billion by June thanks to lower imports and budget support from development partners.
It seems the government is doing an about-turn from the austerity stance taken at the start of the fiscal year.
Bangladesh should be careful about falling into the middle-income trap, said Axel van Trotsenburg, the World Bank’s managing director of operations.
Bangladesh’s balance of payments (BoP) deficit would widen massively in the current fiscal year than the central bank had earlier projected owing to escalated imports, lower remittances and export receipts, and higher accumulation of debts.