The government has given tax exemption facilities to agro-based industries and entrepreneurs for 10 years to flourish the industries and generate employment.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal unveiled a proposed budget of Tk 603,681 crore for 2021-22 fiscal year in the national parliament today.

With the new national budget set to be announced today, The Daily Star caught up with Debapriya Bhattacharya, a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, for his take on potential policy changes, how to address the needs of the hour, and various solutions to the Covid-induced economic crisis. Below are the excerpts of the interview.

This year’s national budget will be the second to be implemented amid the ongoing unprecedented economic and social crisis brought on by Covid-19.

Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh), one of the country’s most widely known footwear brands, suffered losses for the first time in 59 years of operations as it had to shutter outlets during the main sales seasons amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The amusement industry yesterday demanded that the government immediately allow them to reopen their establishments “like other businesses”, reasoning it would not be possible to survive against continued financial losses.

Female entrepreneurs who conduct their business through Facebook or F-commerce are receiving a record number of orders amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as people continue to shop from home in fear of infection.

Pran has started collecting and pulping mango for the year, targeting to procure 60,000 tonnes to manufacture drinks, juices and other food items which are exported to some 145 countries.

The national budget for 2021-22 is being proposed today all the while the country’s economy faces some tough realities stemming from the pandemic’s second wave.

Embattled Chinese tech giant Huawei will launch a homegrown new mobile operating system on Wednesday as it fights for survival in the smartphone arena after the United States blocked it from using Android.

Brazil’s economy, the largest in Latin America, returned to its pre-pandemic level with stronger-than-expected growth of 1.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2021, the government said Tuesday.

US President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday said it would suspend oil and gas leases that were handed out in an Alaska wildlife refuge during the final days of the Trump administration pending an environmental review.

India’s central bank will likely keep interest rates at record lows this week as it assesses the economic fallout of the country’s evolving Covid-19 crisis, but the monetary authority is expected to reiterate its commitment on liquidity.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He exchanged views with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on issues of mutual “concern”, in his second virtual call in a week with top economic and trade officials under the US Biden administration.

European Union government and Parliament negotiators reached a deal Tuesday on rules that will force large multinational companies to disclose how much revenue and tax they pay in the 27-nation bloc and how much they pay in countries considered tax havens by the EU.

The US government on Tuesday closed the books on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that extended a nearly $800-billion lifeline to small businesses to keep them afloat amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a first for the country, rose tea recently joined the white and yellow blends for sale in local markets.

State-run Maddhapara Granite Mining Company has run up a loss of around Tk 565 crore, mainly due to two contractors hired back-to-back failing to meet their extraction targets.

Bangladesh will observe National Tea Day on June 4 for the first time in its 50-year history.

The government yesterday teamed up with global news networking giant CNN International for the promotion of “Made in Bangladesh” products worldwide.