IT businessmen expect good news in coming budget

The third session of the twelfth national parliament is scheduled to present the national budget for the financial year 2024-25 on June 6. Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a pre-budget discussion with business leaders at Ganobhaban on Saturday in the evening.

BASIS president Russell T Ahmed addressed the meeting as a representative of the ICT sector in the meeting led by Mahbub Alam, the president of the Federation of Bangladesh Industries and Chambers of Commerce (FBCCI), the top organization of businessmen and industrialists of the country.

Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali, State Minister for Finance Wasika Ayesha Khan, State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam Titu were present in the meeting which was moderated by Prime Minister's Advisor on Industry and Investment Salman F. Rahman.

In the meeting, BASIS president gave priority to 5 issues. In the beginning, he requested to extend the period of tax holiday.

Also setting up an autonomous ICT Export Promotion Agency with the aim of increasing the export of ICT services by giving preference to domestic institutions in the procurement of government technology services; Russell T. Ahmed requested the Prime Minister to formulate policies and evaluate intellectual property of ICT products and services to utilize academia more intensively for the benefit of industry with the aim of creating skilled human resources.

Regarding the meeting, he said, the prime minister gave several advices and directions after listening to the capabilities, limitations and possibilities of the ICT industry in the meeting. He listened to me in a very pleasant mood. So, we can expect good things in the coming days.