Placing the Taka 5.68 lakh crore budget proposal in the parliament, the Finance Minister outlined the four pronged strategy of the government to achieve this ambitious target. The strategy includes discouraging luxury expenditure and priority to job creation in government expenditure, creation of loan facilities at subsidized interest rate, expanding social safety net and increasing money supply while balancing the inflationary pressure in the economy.
Speaking about the health sector, the Minister said that the government has given the highest priority to it with additional allocation and incentives. The budget has allocated Taka 29,247 crore for the health services and health education sector. The budget has also set aside Taka 10 thousand crore to meet emergency requirements arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The budget has proposed several exemptions in import duty on medical items needed for dealing with the Coronavirus crisis. It has also proposed withdrawal of VAT on COVID 19 test kits, locally manufactured PPEs and medicines needed for Corona treatment.