Finance Minister places revised budget, trimming public spending by Tk 2,000 crore

The revised and supplementary budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 has been presented in the National Parliament with a pledge to restructure the ongoing economic situation, combat inflation and ensure frugality in government expenditure. Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury presented the budget on the seventh day of the second session of the 13th National Parliament on Monday (June 15).

The Finance Minister said that the government's net expenditure in the main budget for the current fiscal year was estimated at Tk 7,90,000 crore. However, due to the slow pace of implementation of the Annual Development Program (ADP) during the pre-election period, it has been proposed to reduce government expenditure by Tk 2,000 crore to Tk 7,88,000 crore in the revised budget. At the same time, the total deficit in this revised budget has been proposed at Tk 2,000 crore, which is 3.3 percent of the country's total GDP, the Finance Minister said.

The Finance Minister said in his speech that the main priority of the current government is to revitalize the economy by eliminating the weaknesses of the internal economic structure. To achieve this goal, emphasis has been placed on preventing waste, reducing non-priority expenditure and ensuring administrative efficiency in every government expenditure sector.

Although subsidies in the power and energy sectors have been adjusted due to global instability, the government has taken initiatives to further expand and enhance social security programs. These include family cards, farmer cards and honorariums for imams, priests and muezzins. The minister explained that the expenditure and deficit have been adjusted in the supplementary budget to manage these social responsibility programs.

After presenting the budget, the Speaker started the process of voting on the demand for approval as per the agenda of the parliament. There are a total of 25 demand for approval in this supplementary budget. In contrast, the opposition members of parliament have given notice of a total of 304 retrenchment proposals. Although there is an opportunity to discuss responsible expenditure according to parliamentary procedures, it is not subject to voting.

Due to time constraints, the opposition has been given a list of eight key ministries and departments — namely, the Finance Department, Planning Department, Commerce Ministry, Local Government Department and the Anti-Corruption Commission — to discuss and raise retrenchment proposals, including related sectors. The Speaker said that other demands for approval will be resolved through direct voting.