Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Monday said the government has made adjustments to the expenditure and budget deficit in the supplementary budget to address economic challenges while continuing social safety net programmes.

Moving the Supplementary Budget Bill in Parliament, he said since assuming office, the government has undertaken effective measures to improve people's living standards and revive the economy.

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The minister noted that rebuilding the economy remains one of the government's key priorities amid global uncertainties, structural weaknesses within the economy and inflationary pressures.

"We are trying to reduce wastage in public expenditure, curtail non-priority spending, lower administrative costs and ensure greater efficiency in government spending," he told the House.

At the same time, Khosru said, the government is working to implement commitments made in the BNP election manifesto.

However, due to the global economic situation, he said, adjustments were made to electricity and energy subsidies, while social safety net programmes expanded through initiatives such as Family Card, Farmers' Card and allowances for imams, muezzins and priests.

To accommodate these measures, the government made adjustments to expenditure and the budget deficit in the supplementary budget, the minister added.

Considering the slower pace of government spending, particularly the implementation of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) before the election, the revised budget proposed a reduction of Tk 2,000 crore, bringing total net expenditure down to Tk 7.88 lakh crore.

Khosru said the revised budget proposed a deficit of Tk 2 lakh crore, equivalent to 3.3 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

According to him, allocations for 27 ministries, divisions and other institutions have been increased by Tk 56,117.59 crore under the supplementary budget, while allocations for the remaining 35 ministries and divisions have been reduced by Tk 59,348.67 crore.

Thanking lawmakers for what he described as a lively discussion on the supplementary budget, the minister urged Parliament to approve the grants sought for expenditures other than charged expenditures outlined in the supplementary financial statement.

He formally requested all members of parliament to endorse the supplementary budget proposals for the current fiscal year.