Budget to save businessmen and people: Finance Minister

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has said that the budget for the upcoming 2021-22 fiscal year will be announced with the aim of saving the common people and businessmen of the country.

He was speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Virtual Economic Affairs and Public Procurement chaired by the finance minister at noon on Thursday (May 27th).

Asked if there would be any other good news in the budget for traders including tax exemption, AHM Mustafa Kamal said, “We have to wait till the budget is announced for these issues.” The information that will be presented will come before us. We cannot publish any information right now. Generally we can say – our goal will be to save the people of the country, to save the businessmen. So we are doing the budget in the interest of everyone. Keeping our backward marginalized people with them. We want to move forward with them.

In response to a question about the vaccine, he said, “We have given them the responsibility to do what the ministry can do in the work on Covid-19. We have approved it by the Economic Committee. They can do these things themselves.

Regarding the change in procurement rule, the finance minister said, “We have been following these issues for a long time.” If we procure a service or material, we can add 10 percent plus or minus. We think the issue needs to be considered more. Because up to 10 percent plus-minus does not have this competitive environment, everyone does the same prize.

“It has its ups and downs,” he said. If it is lifted, it will pay 90 percent or 100 percent less. It was seen that 1 percent will be kept. Otherwise the prize is not what it should be. That is why these need to be seen. I have formed a committee to do this work. They will complete the work soon and bring it to the committee, for further discussion. We have formed a seven-member committee headed by the senior secretary of the finance department.

Sunbd/NJ