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Gloomy days would be over: Finance Minister


Published : 11 Jun 2020 10:36 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 11:27 AM

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Thursday said that the gloomy days of Covid-19 pandemic will certainly go away one day.

“It is evident from history that Bengalis as a nation is an epitome of bravery and valor. We sailed through many crises and disasters in our national lives using our collective strength,” he said while presenting the budget.

He said, “Bangali people fought shoulder to shoulder against the Pakistani occupation forces in 1971 and finally achieved victory.”

“Imbued with this spirit, under the bold leadership of our honourable Prime Minister, we as a nation, with the support and cooperation from all, will also emerge victorious in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Inshah Allah,” said a smiling Finance Minister.

He said, “The nation will have to overcome the situation with patience and show bravery.”
“At this critical juncture in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, our top most priority is to save people from being infected by the virus,” AHM Mustafa Kamal mentioned.

He said that at the same time, it is an obligation for us to maintain the momentum of the economy to ensure the provision of food and clothing for the people.

“In this challenging moment, our Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself is reaching out to all segments of the population to keep their trust and morale high,” AHM Mustafa Kamal said.

The Finance Minister said “The budget, formulated at the directives of the Prime Minister, will be the instrument of moving forward and overcoming the economic recession. The budget is formulated to establish the foundation for achieving the economic success in the future in continuation of the past development.”

“Meanwhile, the IMF has projected that our (GDP) growth in the next year will be 9.5 percent,” he said.
“Surely the Almighty will give us shelter under the cool shade of His bountiful mercy and relieve all of us from the scourge of this pandemic. We will return to our normal lives once again. There will be a new dawn on the horizon piercing the veil of darkness all around us,” the Minister said.

AHM Mustafa Kamal said also that the country's economy has come to a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic halting the rapid progress of the economy.

“In order to overcome this situation, there is no alternative but upgrading customs to international standards to facilitate import and export trade,” he said.

He added that several measures, like up gradation of the operating systems - ASYCUDA World, National Single Window, Automated Customs Risk Management, Authorized Economic Operator, etc. have already been adopted by the NBR to modernise Bangladesh Customs.

“If these measures are implemented in due time, the ease of doing business ranking of Bangladesh will improve, investment will be facilitated, and the wheels of the country's economy will be further accelerated. I believe, these measures will bring a new horizon in revenue generation,” AHM Mustafa Kamal said.

The Finance Minister said that the economy of Bangladesh has continuously progressed so far, and is receiving appreciation from everywhere in the world today.

“We are determined to join the club of the developed countries. The role of the revenue administration in this regard is very significant,” he pointed out.

He said that if we can properly implement the modernisation, automation and expansion initiatives, it is expected that revenue administration would become more accountable and transparent, and the increased revenue collection would bring greater dynamism to the economy of our country.
“We shall achieve our development goals,” the Finance Minister said.