Dhaka: The government has increased the revenue target by Taka 24,000 crore in the revised budget for the current fiscal year 2025-26. At the same time, the budget has set the inflation target at 7 percent and the GDP growth rate at 5 percent. The revised budget was approved by the Council of Advisers today at its weekly meeting at the Chief Adviser’s Office with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in the chair. The revised budget for the ongoing fiscal year 2025-26 will come into effect from February 1.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam briefed the media about the meeting at the Foreign Service Academy this afternoon. Highlighting the revenue situation, Shafiqul Alam noted the pace of revenue collection has increased in the current fiscal year. During July-October of FY 2024-25, revenue growth was 24.1 percent, which rose to 26.4 percent in the same period of the current fiscal year. In this context, the total revenue target for the current fiscal year has been revised upward by Taka 24,000 crore from Taka 564,000 crore to Taka 588,000 crore.
Of the revised revenue amount, Taka 503,000 crore will be sourced from the National Board of Revenue (NBR), Taka 65,000 crore will come as non-tax revenue, and Taka 20,000 crore from non-NBR sources, the press secretary stated.
Regarding inflation, he mentioned that food inflation had reached nearly 14 percent at the end of last year but has now decreased to around 7 percent. With increased vegetable production and supply during the winter season, inflation is expected to decline further. By the end of the current fiscal year, overall inflation is projected to fall to 7 percent and GDP growth to stand at 5 percent.
Total government expenditure in the revised budget has been set at Taka 788,000 crore, a reduction from the original budget’s expenditure target of Taka 790,000 crore. The size of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) in the revised budget has been fixed at Taka 200,000 crore, equivalent to 3.3 percent of GDP, a decrease from the original ADP size of Taka 230,000 crore, or 3.7 percent of GDP, indicating a reduction in development expenditure by Taka 30,000 crore.
In the revised ADP, foreign financing has been set at Taka 72,000 crore and domestic financing at Taka 128,000 crore, with other budgetary expenditures, including operating costs, amounting to Taka 588,000 crore. The total budget deficit in the revised budget has been fixed at Taka 200,000 crore, which is 3.3 percent of GDP. Of this deficit, Taka 63,000 crore will be sourced from foreign entities while Taka 137,000 crore will be financed from domestic sources.