Government Trying to Cut Spending on Unnecessary Sectors: Prime Minister

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said the government is trying to reduce public spending on unnecessary sectors while continuing expenditure on essential and priority areas. He stressed that everyone must properly perform their respective responsibilities to ensure the proper use of public funds. The Prime Minister made the remarks while answering questions as the chief guest at the ‘Revenue Conference-2026’, held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital on Tuesday (August 18) morning.

The Prime Minister said, “The government is trying to reduce spending on unnecessary sectors. However, expenditure will certainly be made on necessary sectors.” He said, “If everyone performs their respective responsibilities properly, positive changes will come to the country.”

The conference also placed emphasis on increasing public confidence in revenue management, removing confusion over taxation and making the revenue collection process easier and more effective. Reducing harassment of taxpayers, expanding the tax net and preventing tax evasion were also discussed. The government has set a total revenue collection target of Tk 6.95 lakh crore for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Of this, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has been tasked with collecting Tk 6.04 lakh crore. Therefore, alongside achieving the revenue target, maintaining discipline in government expenditure has also become an important part of financial management.

Earlier, during budget discussions, the Prime Minister had proposed reducing the tax burden on ordinary people and reconsidering tax rates in several areas. He also proposed reviewing certain tax provisions related to opening bank accounts, property mutation and distribution deeds, as these issues had created confusion among the public. 

The conference was jointly organised by the Internal Resources Division of the Ministry of Finance and the National Board of Revenue. Senior NBR officials and officials from relevant departments participated in the event. The conference is discussing strategies to increase revenue collection while making the tax system more transparent, simple, technology-driven and people-friendly.