Tk 222,491cr budget placed

DHAKA: The government Thursday proposed a Tk 222,491-crore budget for 2013-14, fixing the target of attaining a higher GDP growth of 7.2 percent in the financial year.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith placed the 42nd national budget in parliament in absence of the BNP-led opposition, expressing his hopes to be able to steer the economy out of the present pressures and problems. 

Muhith started giving his budget speech titled `Four Years of Progress: Bangladesh Marches on` at 3:15pm.  

The revenue target of the budget has been fixed at Tk 167,459 crore while the budget deficit will be Tk 55,032 crore.

Of the revenue, Tk 136,090cr is expected from NBR tax revenue, Tk 5,129 crore from non-NBR tax revenue and Tk 26,240 crore from non-tax revenue. The government expects Tk 6,670 crore in foreign grants.

Earlier in the day, the cabinet in a meeting at the Sangsad Bhaban with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair approved the budget, which is about 16 percent bigger than that of the outgoing fiscal year.

Muhith laid out the budget in the House through power-point presentation, with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair. The full text of the budget is available at www.mof.gov.bd.