inflation targets
Reducing inflation is now the biggest challenge
In the first six months of the ongoing fiscal year 2024-25, Bangladesh Bank has announced a new monetary policy while keeping the policy interest rate unchanged. Additionally, the central bank has eased restrictions on opening import letters of credit. As a result, it is expected that the upward trend in bank loan interest rates will significantly slow down. These measures have been taken at a time when inflation in Bangladesh has reached an alarming level.
Will high inflation come under control anytime soon?
The current national budget has given special importance to controlling high inflation. Despite efforts over the past one and a half years, inflation remains unmanageable. The budget has set a target to bring down the inflation rate to 6.5% within the current fiscal year. However, most economists in the country believe this target is unattainable given the current state of the economy. They predict that even if inflation does not rise further, it is unlikely to fall below 9% anytime soon. Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali mentioned in a post-budget press conference that inflation would decrease within the next six months, but did not specify how this target would be achieved. A new monetary policy for the first six months of the current fiscal year is expected to be announced soon, and it is certain that controlling high inflation will be a priority. However, it is unlikely that inflation can be brought to a tolerable level through monetary policy alone.
‘Bangladesh Bank reports 11% non-performing loans; actual figure is 25%’
Economist and researcher Dr. Ahsan H Mansur has highlighted discrepancy in reported financial figures, saying that Bangladesh Bank reports 11 percent non-performing loans (NPLs), but the actual figure is 25 percent.
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