Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman warned businessmen on Thursday that bank interest rates will increase in the coming days.
He expressed the concern in a meeting with the newly elected committee of FBCCI in the conference hall of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), an entity under the Prime Minister’s Office, on Thursday.
Salman said that businessmen are not afraid of political unrest due to the upcoming national elections.
He said that as there has been political stability in the country for the last 15 years the businessmen believe that there will be such stability after the next parliamentary election too.
The leaders of the FBCCI highlighted the challenges of the country's trade and various harassment by the revenue officials. In response, Salman advised the FBCCI to work closely with the National Revenue Board to resolve the crisis.
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“The government's job is to ensure the business environment. It is not the government's responsibility to ensure profit of the traders,” he said.
Salman said that the government had kept the bank's interest rate under control for a long time because of various complaints of businessmen. But now due to increase in the interest rate on deposits, it will not be possible to keep it under control in the future.
He urged the businessmen to get ready to face the challenge of the increased interest rates.
Salman said the government has challenges in collecting revenue at the desired level and despite demands of the businessmen the tax was reduced, but the revenue did not increase proportionately as per desires.
He also urged the businessmen to pay taxes regularly to maintain the continuity of the country’s development.