The people of the country will see a political government next year, Planning and Finance Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud has said. "Personally, I believe we will see an elected government next year," he said while speaking at the opening session of the Annual BIDS Conference on Development (ABCD) at a hotel in the capital on Saturday. Bangladesh "unfairly portrayed" in int'l media, parliamentary hearings in influential nations: CA's Press Secretary The Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) organised the event.   Dr Mahmud, however, pointed out that income inequality remains one of the country’s most pressing concerns. "To tackle this disparity, quality education is paramount, an area where Bangladesh still has a long way to go," he said. Diplomats of 27 European countries to meet CA Dec 9 As Bangladesh transitions from its status as a Least Developed Country (LDC), Dr Mahmud referred to the ongoing efforts to retain some benefits associated with the LDC status. “We no longer have the option of remaining an LDC. Discussions to sustain certain privileges from developed nations are ongoing, with positive responses from many,” the adviser said. Homeless protesters block highway in Natore alleging corruption in housing allocation In a separate session, Indermit S Gill, Chief Economist at the World Bank, provided insights into how Bangladesh could escape the middle-income trap. Investment and job creation should be the focal points, he stated, urging the country to foster entrepreneurship and expand the use of technology.

 The government has decided to carry out an assessment of its fleet of vehicles to determine the exact number it owns and the current condition of those vehicles. The decision was made at the ECNEC meeting held at the Chief Adviser’s Office, presided over by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.While briefing reporters at the NEC Conference Room about the outcome of the meeting, Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud said that the government possesses a large number of vehicles, with each project having its own fleet. Family planning, not microcredit, drove women’s workforce participation in the 1980s: Adviser Wahiduddin "Where do these vehicles go after a project is completed?" he questioned.Mahmud mentioned that many vehicles remain unused after the projects end."Often, other ministries take over these vehicles and it is not uncommon for a single public servant to hold 3-4 vehicles under his or her jurisdiction," he said. Employment generation takes priority over GDP growth: Planning Adviser Wahiduddin The adviser added that these vehicles do not last as long as those procured personally.“But since they belong to the government, their longevity is not like that of personal vehicles, which is another issue,” he mentioned.The advisers have decided to start identifying all government vehicles, starting from the upazila level, to understand their current usage and lifespan. “We will look into how these vehicles are being used and how long they last,” he stated.Prof Wahiduddin Mahmud said that the government aims to utilise these vehicles in other government offices to reduce public expenditure.  

Renowned economist Professor Wahiduddin Mahmud said it is ridiculous that the low-income people have been kept under income tax in black and white avoiding any effective measures to tackle the tax dodging of tens of thousands of middle class and rich people and stop the corruption of the tax administration. At first, the government has to separate the amount of zero tax and minimum income amount of tax to fix the rate of income tax. Professor Wahiduddin Mahmud made his post-budget reaction on a Facebook post on Friday.   Also Read: Budget: Dr Atiur for reconsidering some tax proposals He wrote, “In the proposed budget, tax-free lowest income has been proposed unchanged at Tk 3 lakh despite a skyrocket of the daily necessaries.”  Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Thursday unveiled the Tk 678,064-crore national budget for the financial year 2022-2023 with a  special focus on economic recovery from uncertainties caused by Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.