Prime Minister's Adviser on Finance and Planning Ministry Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir -File photo

DHAKA, April 12, 2026 (BSS) - Prime Minister's Adviser on Finance and Planning Ministry Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir today said the government is maintaining regular fuel prices despite significant economic volatility, prioritizing public accountability over immediate price adjustments. 

"As an accountable government, the current focus is on ensuring the effective and correct use of expenditures, " he said while speaking as the chief guest at a roundtable titled "Budget 2026-27: Strengthening Investment in the Social Sector," held at the Daily Star building in the city. 

The event was jointly organized by UNICEF and The Daily Star, with support from the European Union.

Addressing the economic situation, Professor Titumir noted that the government inherited a fragile economy riddled with numerous problems, which have been further intensified by recent global crises.

To overcome the complexities of the current targeted social safety net, he mentioned that the government is gradually moving towards a universal social protection system to eliminate inclusion and exclusion errors and ensure no citizen is deprived of services.

He further revealed that the government aims to increase social protection spending to 5 percent of the GDP. 

As part of this transition, he said, a 'one card, one citizen, one digital platform' initiative has been undertaken to ensure efficient resource distribution through a single card per family. 

Additionally, the government is launching bank-integrated cards for farmers for the first time, allowing them to receive various subsidy benefits directly, he added.

To ensure the reliability of economic data, the Adviser announced that a separate committee has been formed to verify GDP and other statistics. 

He emphasized that digitalizing revenue collection and ensuring transparency and accountability in budget implementation are currently the government's top priorities.

Professor Titumir also discussed the role of international organizations, noting that some conditions from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) might not always be child or woman-friendly.

He stressed the need for better policy harmonization among international agencies.

During the session, experts highlighted concerns regarding budget utilization. 

UNICEF Social Policy and Economic Specialist Md. Ashiq Iqbal pointed out that in the 2024-25 fiscal year, only 47.4 percent of the education development budget and just 9.8 percent of the health development budget were utilized.

Among others, UNICEF Country Representative Rana Flowers, Executive Director of the Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) Rasheda K. Chowdhury and Distinguished Fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Professor Mustafizur Rahman and the Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam spoke on the occasion.