The proposed budget size for the 2026-27 fiscal year has been estimated at Tk 938,000 crore, which is Tk 148,000 crore more than the last budget. The proposed budget proposes to increase taxes, duties, VAT, and surcharges on tobacco products, luxury cars, rods, steel products, and medicines, medical equipment, mobile phones, and technology products, which may increase the prices of these products.
The first budget of the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was placed in the National Assembly at 3 pm on Thursday.
This budget will be the country's 55th and the first budget of the current government and Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.
The tax and customs structure in the proposed 2026-27 fiscal year budget has been arranged in such a way that annual advance income tax on cigarettes, luxury cars, helicopters, and imported cashew nuts have been increased. At the same time, it has been proposed to increase the tax on health-risk and luxury products. As a result, the prices of these products will also increase.
Products whose prices may increase:
The proposed budget has increased the price of cigarettes in all four tiers. It has been proposed to set the price of 10 cigarettes at the low-end level at 62 taka, the middle level at 92 taka, the high-end level at 160 taka and the ultra-high level at 210 taka. A high rate of supplementary duty and health development surcharge is also being imposed on nicotine pouches and heated tobacco.
To protect domestic producers, it is proposed to increase the import duty on cashew nuts from 1 and 5 percent to 25 percent. As a result, the price of imported cashew nuts may increase.
The tax on luxury petrol, octane and diesel-powered cars is also being increased significantly. It has been proposed to increase the tax rate on cars with a capacity of 1200 to 1600 cc and double the advance income tax. A supplementary duty of Tk 500 per liter is being imposed on domestic liquor at the production stage.
In addition, there are proposals to increase the specific VAT on some rod and steel products, impose a 20 percent supplementary duty on imported Pangasius fish fillets, increase the annual advance income tax on helicopters, and increase the tax rate on gambling income from 20 percent to 25 percent. As a result, the prices of these products will increase.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
