Desk Report:
Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir has said that ensuring accountability, transparency and good governance is essential to restore sustainable normalcy in the country’s economy. He said that the lack of accountability and taking up unreasonable projects in the past have created abnormalities in the economy, the effects of which are still present.
He made these remarks as the chief guest at a seminar titled “Pre-Budget Discussion: Private Sector Expectations” organized by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (DCCI) in the capital today (Monday, April 13, 2026) at noon.
The Commerce Minister said that the government is not a separate entity outside the people; a healthy economic environment is created only through public participation, transparency and effective connectivity with economic stakeholders. When this connectivity and transparency are broken, instability and imbalance are created in the economy.
He mentioned that the main goal of economic management is to ensure the best use of limited resources. But in the past, some projects have been taken that did not have proper rationale and failed to achieve real results. The review of the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Department (IMED) under the Planning Commission also found evidence of corruption and ineffectiveness in many projects.
The Commerce Minister further said that it is not possible to sustain economic growth by increasing government expenditure alone. To increase private investment, it is necessary to create an investment-friendly environment, ease of doing business, and remove administrative complexity. He said that the government has already taken initiatives to simplify and digitize various processes so that businessmen can receive license and registration services from home.
He said that due to the global situation, the increase in the prices of various imported products, including fuel and fertilizer, has put pressure on the government’s financial management. As an example, he mentioned that the cost of importing LNG, crude oil, and fertilizer has more than doubled, which has created a major challenge in the government’s expenditure management.
To address this situation, he said that the government is emphasizing on developing the energy supply system, increasing gas extraction from local sources, and building a long-term storage capacity (Strategic Reserve).
The minister said that expanding the tax net is essential for sustainable economic management. Instead of increasing personal tax rates, the government is emphasizing on increasing the number of taxpayers. He expressed optimism that positive changes will be visible in this regard in the upcoming budget and beyond.
He urged the private sector to have faith in the government and said, “If we work together, it is possible to stabilize and strengthen the economy.”
The pre-budget discussion, moderated by DCCI President Taskin Ahmed, was attended by Dr. Manjur Hossain, member of the General Economics Division, Mahbubur Rahman, President of the International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh, and prominent economists and business leaders of the country.
