Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has cautiously welcomed the government’s decision not to include, for the time being, any provision for legalizing black money in the proposed budget of Bangladesh. But, at the same time, TIB has strongly demanded that the disclosure of asset declarations by public servants be made a mandatory condition for implementing important proposals related to the new pay scale for government employees.
In its statement issued by the organization in Dhaka on 11 June 2026 in response to the announcement of the Bangladesh’s National Budget 2026-27 by the BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party)-led government, TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, “The decision not to include the unconstitutional, discriminatory, and corruption-enabling provision for legalizing “black money” in the proposed budget sends an important message in support of the government’s anti-corruption electoral commitment. However, past experience shows that later, this provision has often been continued through Finance Bills in various sectors under different pretexts, including investment and employment generation. We therefore hope that this unethical opportunity will not return in any form…We hope the government will break this entrenched practice and set a precedent.”
Referring to the proposed new pay structure for government employees, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, “The phased implementation of the new pay structure, as recommended by the Pay Commission, reflects the extent to which the government has had to carefully assess fiscal realities. Like professionals in other low- and fixed-income sectors, government employees cannot be expected to achieve the highest standards of professional excellence or ensure corruption-free service delivery unless their salaries and benefits are aligned with the cost of living. For this reason, despite the government’s financial constraints and an 11-year gap, the proposed salary increase is considered justified…”
TIB Executive Director further says, ”However, to ensure that the intended benefits of improved professional performance and corruption-free service delivery are achieved, mandatory disclosure of asset declarations must be introduced as a condition for eligibility under the new pay scale. In other words, only those government officials and employees who regularly and mandatorily update annual declarations of income and assets of themselves and their dependent family members should be entitled to the new pay scale…The additional cost of the new pay scale, along with its impact on inflation and the overall cost of living, will ultimately be borne by the public. Therefore, asset disclosure by public employees is essential in the interest of accountability and corruption-free public service.”
At the same time, noting that a significant number of proposals have been made to reduce duties and taxes on essential goods and services in consideration of their impact on the daily lives of ordinary people, the TIB Executive Director said that these measures deserve appreciation. But he said, “The commitment made in the budget speech to ‘enhance the efficiency of tax administration and ensure transparency and accountability in the tax system’ must be effectively implemented. Honest income earners must be able to pay taxes in a harassment-free and smooth environment. In this regard, effective accountability of the relevant authorities and an appropriate enabling environment must be ensured.”
TIB Executive Director further says, ”… At the same time, in order to prevent ‘tax evasion’, technology-based monitoring alone is not sufficient; rather, taking into account the recurring allegations made at various times against a section of dishonest and corrupt officials within the revenue administration, effective measures must be taken to prevent corruption and irregularities in this sector. Because tax evasion is one of the key reasons behind the country’s revenue shortfall. The transition from a debt-dependent budget to a revenue-driven budget will not yield real benefits unless tax evasion through collusion is stopped and the National Board of Revenue is made corruption-free; no other measure alone will be effective in delivering tangible results.”
On the other hand, there is no clear discussion or roadmap to ensure good governance in the budget implementation process. The absence of any reference to this issue in the proposed budget presentation is disappointing. TIB Executive Director has expressed hope that the final budget of Bangladesh will address this matter.
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DISCLAIMER: The piece was sent by TI Bangladesh to Dhaka Opinion Magazine. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Magazine and its editorial team. Views published are the sole responsibility of the author(s).
