Budget for 2015-16 not to see major changes, Finance Minister Muhith says

The proposed budget for the 2015-16 financial year is to be passed without major changes, Finance Minister AMA Muhith has indicated.

He told bdnews24.com that the Finance Bill 2015 will be passed on Monday and the Tk 3 trillion budget on Tuesday after weighing the suggestions made during the budget discussion in Parliament.
 
“Some proposals were criticised, some were praised. There were proposals for changes, too,” he said on Saturday.
 
“There will be no major change in the budget I proposed. I have corrected some matters on duty, including that of sugar. There will be some slight changes,” he said.
 
The finance minister on June 4 presented the proposed budget for the fiscal year starting from July 1.
 
He said senior ministers and MPs had already given their views. Some of them will discuss the budget on Sunday and Monday.
 
“The prime minister (Sheikh Hasina) will have the final say. There will be some additions and subtractions based on everyone’s opinion,” Muhith said.
 
According to the rules, the prime minister requests the finance minister to effect changes, if any, in the proposed budget before the passage of the finance bill.
 
Muhith, who has made seven budgets for Awami League governments, told bdnews24.com that he was also considering the recommendations made by experts outside Parliament.
 
Officials of the finance ministry and National Board of Revenue (NBR) said the proposal to impose a 1 percent tax at source for the apparel sector could be revised down to 0.8 percent.
 
The tax at source for the apparel sector is 0.3 percent in 2014-15 fiscal year.