According to bdnews24.com senior correspondent Abdur Rahim Harmachhi, the government is preparing to announce a budget of around Tk 100,000 crore for the upcoming fiscal year. The finance adviser has proposed allocating up to 15 percent of this amount for subsidizing essential commodities. This will be the first time in history that a caretaker government has proposed 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 around Tk 15,000 crore will be allocated for fuel, food, and fertiliser subsidies, which is three times higher than the previous fiscal year. Despite exceeding Tk 70,000 crore in spending on non-development sectors, the overall budget deficit is expected to remain under five percent. Mirza Aziz stated that there would be no tax rate increases in the upcoming fiscal year, but import duties on certain goods may be raised to support local industry. He highlighted that challenges such as fuel price hikes, the global food crisis, and climate change-induced natural disasters were major factors influencing Bangladesh's budget preparation. Despite the significant pressure on the economy from soaring oil prices in the international market, the government has not yet decided to raise fuel prices. Aziz emphasized that even with oil prices reaching $139 a barrel as the budget announcement approached, the government opted not to increase fuel prices considering the overall situation. The adviser mentioned that a barrel of fuel cost $62 on the global market when the government last raised fuel prices in the country in 2007. In the fiscal budget for 2007-08, the overall deficit was projected at 4.2 percent. The adviser stated that the budget deficit was expected to slightly increase in the following year due to higher subsidies to sectors such as fuel, fertilizer, and food. However, he reassured that it would not exceed 5 percent. Efforts to widen the tax net on a large scale were also mentioned as a way to increase revenue income. The expected revenue increase for the upcoming fiscal year is 17 percent. In the 2008-09 budget, it was planned for Tk 43,850 crore to be generated from NBR-controlled sources. The adviser mentioned that the tax system in the budget would be favorable for businesses, with measures in place to limit the discretionary power of tax officials and simplify the tax collection process. The target GDP growth rate is set at 6.5 percent, and the projected annual inflation rate is around 9 percent. The finance adviser had initially targeted a 7 percent GDP growth for the fiscal year 2007-08, with an average inflation rate of 6 percent. However, due to floods and cyclones, achieving the 7 percent growth was not possible. It was expected that the growth rate for the year would be below 6 percent, but recent 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 expressed his main worry about the economy of Bangladesh being inflation. He pointed out that the point-to-point inflation rate decreased by three percentage points to 7.7 percent in April, according to data from the Bureau of Statistics. In March, the point-to-point inflation rate was 10.06 percent. He also mentioned that agriculture will be the top priority in the upcoming budget, with the highest allocation being made for this 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 from each family will be compensated for 100 days of work. Additionally, the government plans to increase the number of recipients of various social safety net benefits. Aziz also mentioned that efforts will be made to boost the purchasing ability of individuals with fixed incomes. Furthermore, a dearness allowance will be introduced for government employees to alleviate the burden of rising prices. The finance adviser's budget speech will be shown live on government and private TV and radio channels at 3pm on Monday. Just like last year, the government is encouraging public review of the proposed budget by sharing the budget speech, summary, and annual 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 to the government by completing forms until 5pm on June 16. Comments, recommendations, and criticisms can also be submitted in writing, and will be taken into account when finalizing the approved budget to ensure 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 under the finance ministry and bdnews24.com.