bdnews24.com senior correspondent Abdur Rahim Harmachhi reported that the government is planning to announce a budget of around Tk 100,000 crore for the upcoming fiscal year. The finance adviser stated that up to 15 percent of this amount will be used to subsidize essential commodities. This budget proposal will be the first time in history that a caretaker government has presented a complete budget for two consecutive fiscal years. Finance adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam, who will deliver his second budget speech on Monday, mentioned that up to Tk 15,000 crore will be allocated for fuel, food, and fertiliser subsidies, which is three times higher than the previous fiscal year. The total spending on non-development sectors is expected to exceed Tk 70,000 crore, but the finance adviser assured that the overall budget deficit will not exceed five percent. Mirza Aziz stated that the government has no plans to raise tax rates in the upcoming fiscal year, but there may be an increase in import duty on certain goods to support local industry. He explained that challenges such as fuel price hikes, the global food crisis, and natural disasters caused by climate change have made it difficult to prepare the budget for Bangladesh. Despite the rising oil prices internationally, the government has not yet decided to raise fuel prices. Mirza Aziz emphasized that even though oil prices have surged to $139 a barrel, the government chose not to increase fuel prices given the current economic situation. The adviser mentioned that a barrel of fuel was priced at $62 on the global market when the government last raised fuel prices in the country in 2007. The overall deficit in the budget for fiscal 2007-08 was projected at 4.2 percent. The adviser stated that the budget deficit was expected to slightly increase in the next year due to higher subsidies for sectors like fuel, fertiliser, and food. However, he reassured that it would not exceed 5 percent. The finance adviser also mentioned plans to widen the tax net significantly to boost revenue income. The expected revenue increase for the upcoming fiscal year is 17 percent. In the 2008-09 budget, Tk 43,850 crore was allocated from NBR-controlled sources. The adviser mentioned that the tax system in the budget would be favorable for businesses. He also stated that the discretionary authority of tax officials would be limited and the tax collection process would be simplified. The target growth rate for GDP is set at 6.5 percent, and the projected annual inflation rate is around 9 percent. The GDP growth target for the fiscal year 2007-08 was set at 7 percent, while the average inflation rate was projected to be 6 percent. The finance adviser admitted that achieving 7 percent growth in the fiscal year was not possible due to natural disasters. Initial estimates suggested growth would be below 6 percent, but the latest data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics revealed a growth rate of 6.21 percent. In the previous fiscal year (2006-07), GDP growth was 6.5 percent. Mirza Aziz stated that a significant issue for Bangladesh's economy was inflation, noting that the point-to-point inflation rate decreased by three percentage points to 7.7 percent in April compared to 10.06 percent in March, according to data from the Bureau of Statistics. He also emphasized that agriculture will be the top priority in the upcoming budget, with the highest allocation being made for the sector in the development budget. Mirza Aziz announced that the government has devised plans to create job opportunities for impoverished individuals in the upcoming fiscal year. As part of the scheme, one member of each family will be compensated with a set amount of money in exchange for 100 days of labor. Additionally, the number of recipients of various government assistance programs within the social safety net will be expanded. The adviser also mentioned that measures will be taken to boost the purchasing power of individuals belonging to fixed income brackets. Furthermore, a dearness allowance will be introduced for government employees to alleviate the hardships brought about by rising prices. The finance adviser's budget speech will be shown live on TV and radio channels, both government-owned and private, at 3pm on Monday. Just like last year, the government is encouraging the public to review the proposed budget by sharing the budget speech, summary, and financial statement on www.mof.gov.bd. Printed copies will also be available starting at 3pm on Monday. Anyone can access these documents, download information, and provide feedback by filling out forms until 5pm on June 16. Written comments, recommendations, and criticisms can also be submitted and will be taken into account when finalizing the budget, ensuring public involvement in the process. The government has identified specific websites where the public can access the proposed budget, including www.bangladesh.gov.bd, www.nbr-bd.org, www.plancomm.gov.bd, www.imed.gov.bd, www.bdpressinform.org, and www.cao.gov.bd. Additionally, links to the budget documents will be provided on other government websites within the finance ministry and bdnews24.com.