B Mirror Report : The Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) has put forward a 21-point set of pre-budget proposals aimed at controlling inflation, expanding the tax net, and ensuring economic stability by recovering laundered money.

The proposals were submitted on Saturday (April 25) to Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury ahead of the national budget for the 2026–27 fiscal year. ERF President Daulat Akter Mala presented the recommendations.

The pre-budget discussion was attended by Finance Secretary Md. Khairuzzaman Mozumder, Secretary of the Financial Institutions Division Najma Mobarek, National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md. Abdur Rahman Khan, Bangladesh Bank Governor Md. Mostakur Rahman, Deputy Governor Habibur Rahman, senior officials from the Finance Ministry, and ERF leaders including Vice President Ashraful Islam, General Secretary Abul Kashem, Finance Secretary Aminul Islam, along with executive committee members and journalists from various media outlets.

In its proposal, ERF stressed the need to boost GDP growth, ensure stability in the banking sector, and strengthen foreign exchange reserves to restore economic momentum. It noted that contractionary monetary policy or cuts in government spending alone are not sufficient to control inflation. Instead, it recommended strengthening market management, breaking supply chain syndicates, and taking effective steps to stop extortion.

The forum also suggested setting profit margins at dealer, wholesale, and retail levels for essential commodities and strictly enforcing them. It called for the continuation of social safety programs such as family cards, farmer cards, and open market sales to protect low-income groups.

ERF highlighted that rising interest payments on domestic loans and subsidies have significantly increased the government’s operating expenses, while development spending has not grown as expected. It recommended reducing reliance on borrowing for operational costs, increasing allocations for development expenditure, and strengthening the capital market by listing new public and private entities.

To improve healthcare services, ERF proposed establishing high-quality hospitals in divisional cities and reducing treatment costs. It noted that a large portion of healthcare expenses in the country is borne out-of-pocket by citizens, pushing many toward poverty.