Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked the authorities concerned to gradually coming out from the trend of subsidies initially on utilities like electricity and water to reduce burden on the state coffer.
The Premier gave the directive while chairing the last ECNEC meeting of the present government held at the NEC Conference Room in city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area today.
Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that the Premier had asked the authorities concerned to come out from the tendency of providing subsidies primarily on some key utility services like electricity and water.
“We’ll have to come out from the practice of subsidies in phases. Utilities like electricity and water are universal and are used by all. All from the Minister to cleaner equally enjoy the benefits of such subsidies,” Mannan said quoting the Premier as saying.
The Planning Minister said the Prime Minister in the meeting had suggested for fixing charges or fees on such utilities according to area-wise, income-wise and family-wise perspective.
Answering to a question, Mannan said this is still an initial thought by the Premier while related experts would work on it further to make the concerned charges and fees more justified.
“We’ll have to come out from the trend of subsidies in phases and this is the main message,” he said adding that such system would be developed in line with the practice of developed countries.বিস্তারিত