Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked that water and electricity subsidies be based on income and distribution area.
Speaking at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) at the NEC conference room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Thursday, Hasina said, "It made no sense that both rich and poor are getting the same benefit from the subsidies."
Quoting the PM during a briefing with reporters, Planning Minister MA Mannan said Hasina also asked for eventually phasing out all subsidies.
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"For example, it doesn't make sense that I, a planning minister, get the same benefit from the subsidy as say someone from a lower income group, such as a sweeper," Mannan said.
The government has allocated Tk1.05 lakh crore as subsidy for this year for different areas such as water, fertiliser and gas.
Of the total amount, the amount earmarked for subsidy for electricity stands at Tk35,000 crore.
