Govt seeks alternative fuel imports to ensure energy security: Finance Minister
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Monday told Parliament that the government has taken initiatives to import fuel oil and LNG from alternative sources to ensure energy security in the context of the ongoing Middle East war.
“In the context of the Middle East war, the government has taken initiatives to import fuel oil and LNG from alternative sources to ensure energy security,” he said, while replying to a tabled question from treasury bench lawmaker Joynal Abdin (Feni-2) in the House.
The finance minister said the government has taken a series of comprehensive measures to strengthen and make the country’s fragile economy more stable and dynamic in the face of global recessionary pressure caused by the ongoing global instability.
He said the present government assumed office facing multiple economic challenges, including global instability, rising commodity prices, pressure on foreign transactions, weaknesses in the banking sector and various economic irregularities created in the past.
“In the context of excessive increase in fuel prices in the international market, the government has taken various initiatives to save energy, including budget support from development partners, with additional financing,” he said.
The Minister said the government is prioritizing strengthening the economic foundation, reducing public sufferings, increasing investment and employment, restoring discipline in the banking sector, and ensuring transparency and accountability in public financial management.
He also raised a number of key measures taken and underway to make the fragile economy as a strong and vibrant one.
Trillion-dollar economy by 2034
Replying to a scripted question from ruling party lawmaker S M Jahangir Hossain (Dhaka-18), the finance minister said that the country’s per capita income stood at $2,769 in the 2024–25 fiscal year, according to the latest data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
“One of the key goals of the current government is to achieve a trillion-dollar economy by 2034. To this end, the government has formulated action plans focusing on investment, employment, economic democratisation, creative economy and sports economy,” he said.
To increase per capita income, the government is simultaneously working with importance on all fronts including employment generation, investment, production, exports, remittance inflows, skill development, social protection and overall macroeconomic stability, said Amir Khosru.
Source: UNB