All to be added to universal pension: Finance Minister

Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali said that people of all classes and professions will be included in the universal pension program. Along with this, cashless society and the return of digital taxation will continue to be important.

He said these things at the post-budget press conference organized by the Finance Ministry at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital on Friday (June 7). In this press conference, finance minister and others answered various questions of media workers.

The finance minister said that the government's contractionary policy will continue for some time to control inflation. Instability in global trade is the cause of inflation in Bangladesh. In this case, the government's contractionary policy will continue to control inflation. Besides, the duty has been reduced for the import of daily necessities.

He said inflation is still at 9 percent. Due to global pressures on the currency, the value of the rupee has fallen. This causes inflation to rise.

Commenting that there is nothing to worry about bank loans, he further said that cashless society and the return of digital tax system will continue to be important.

In the question session, the finance minister said that he will try to increase the growth to 6.75 percent, which is now being estimated as 5.82 percent in the current financial year. I will try to keep inflation at 6.5 percent.

Minister of Finance Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives are present at the press conference. Tajul Islam, Industry Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Planning Minister Major General (retd) Abdus Salam, Housing and Public Works Minister Ram Ubaidul Moktadir Chowdhury, Prime Minister's Finance Advisor Mosiur Rahman, Agriculture Minister Dr. Md. Abdus Shaheed, Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel, Commerce Minister Ahsanul Islam Titu, Finance State Minister Wasika Ayesha Khan, Cabinet Secretary Md. Mahbub Hossain, Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rauf Talukdar, National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Abu Hena Md. Rahmatul Munim.

Finance Secretary is conducting the press conference. Md. Khairuzzaman Majumdar.