The government will require around Tk 50,000 crore to provide subsidies on power, liquefied natural gas and fertilizers in the next financial year if it does not increase the prices of the items.
Finance division officials said that they had made the calculation while working on the next national budget to be placed in Jatiya Sangsad on June 9 by finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal.
Of the amount, the power sector will require the highest amount of Tk 18,000 crore and the fertilizer sector will require the second-highest of Tk 15,000 crore.
The amount of subsidy will be Tk 17,300 crore for importing liquefied natural gas and interest payment against stimulus packages given to businesses amid the Covid pandemic.
The finance division officials said that the government was looking for a suitable time to increase the price of power, gas and fertilizers to lower the pressure of subsidy on its exchequer.
They noted that the amount of subsidy had increased substantially in the outgoing financial year following fertilizer and gas price hikes in the international market.
The government relies on imports heavily to meet the demand for fertilizer and LNG.
