The government has projected to reduce the budget deficit to 5.7 per cent of the GDP in the next FY2022-23 from existing 6.2 per cent, according to an official document. The budget deficit for the FY2023-24 has been projected at 5.5 per cent. In the FY2020-21 budget the deficit was revised at 6.1 per cent from original projection of 6 per cent. The deficit for the FY2019-20 was 5.3 per cent. The official document says government has been seeking additional funds from the multilateral/ bilateral development partners to implement its declared fiscal stimulus package of TK1.28 trillion - 4.2 per cent of the Nominal GDP in FY21) since the pandemic hit the economy in March 2020. Read:Budget deficit: Savings certificates, non-bank sources to be tapped for one-third of domestic financing The government's financing requirement has been projected at Tk. 2.1 trillion (6.2 per cent of GDP) in  FY2021-22. Government's request for budgetary / BOP support has received favourable response from the major development partners, including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AlB), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and EDCF (of Korea), says the document. It says that government has already received US$ 1.7 billion in FY2019-20 and is expected to receive US$ 6.2 billion in total by FY2022-23 out of which US$ 1.5 billion would be used for vaccination programme and the rest would be used for budget/BOP support. With this external support, the government will avoid crowding out the domestic economy as the government's domestic financing requirement will reduce by 8.5 per cent of GDP in running FY2021-22 from the previous fiscal year. For the FY2022-23 some Tk 990 billion will come from external sources as loan, Tk 40 billion as grants while Tk 105.50 billion will be used for amortisation. Among the domestic sources, the banking sector would provide the major share as the government has been phasing out its dependence on expensive nonbank borrowing gradually. As per the official document, in FY2022-23, Tk 1020.10 billion will come from banking sector, Tk 330 billion will be from non-banking sector, Tk 280 billion from National Savings Certificate while Tk 50 billion from other sources. For  FY2023-24  some Tk 1010 billion will come from external sources as loan, Tk 42 billion as grants while Tk 152.5 billion will be used for amortisation. In FY2022-23 an amount of Tk 1210.30 billion will come from banking sector, Tk 310 billion will be from non-banking sector, Tk 260 billion from National Savings Certificate while Tk 50 billion from other sources. The document reads that the government projects to reduce its financing requirement with narrowing of the fiscal deficit in the medium term as the economy is expected to recover from the COVID-19 fallout with the implementation of mass vaccination programme and the fiscal stimulus package. Medium term financing projection shows that government financing requirement would gradually come down to 5.5 per cent of GDP in FY2023-24 from the peak of 6.2 per cent of GDP in the running FY2021-22. Read: Govt staring at ‘burgeoning budget deficit’ in aftermath of pandemic Domestic financing that remains the major source of government finance in the medium term is projected to come down to 3.5 per cent of GDP (bank and non-bank ratio 3.9) while external financing to 2.1 per cent of GDP by  FY2023-24. In the absence of a vibrant domestic bond market, the government projects to keep the share of expensive nonbank borrowing (e.g. NSCs) low while the share of bank financing to rise, the document adds.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has expressed the hope that the country's per capita income will go up to $3,089 dollars in the next financial year. He was briefing reporters after the virtually held two consecutive meetings of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs and Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Sunday. Read: Per capita income to exceed $ 3,000 this year: LGRD minister He also defended the government’s recent decision to allow some of the local enterprises to invest abroad and set up business ventures there. “If we don’t allow investment abroad, money will go to different countries through hundi”, he said adding that some export-oriented firms were given permission to invest abroad under certain conditions and compliances.   He said those firms which have been exporting goods will get the opportunity to invest abroad by 20 per cent of their retention money or on the basis of their net assets. Responding to a question on the projection of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about slowing down the global economy, he said Bangladesh’s growth will continue. "Last year, our GDP growth rate was 5.43 per cent and this year, our GDP growth will be 7.2,” he said defending his projection of $3,089 per capita income. He said the size of the country's GDP will set a new milestone in the next fiscal year by touching the benchmark of half a trillion dollars. “Currently, our GDP is $455 billion and if it is divided into the total population, per capita income will stand at $2,785”.        Read: Rebased GDP increases per capita income by almost 16% He noted that the government expects the GDP growth will be 7.2 per cent while the IMF has made a prediction to be 6.6 per cent. Meanwhile, the Economic Affairs Committee approved three proposals while 18 proposals were approved by the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was placed in Parliament on Tuesday to empower the BERC to make any change in tariff more than one time per financial year.