The Government is Like a Child: Finance Advisor

Describing the government as being akin to a child, Finance Advisor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed emphasized the challenges of indiscriminate criticism, stating that it hampers effective governance.

Speaking on Sunday (26 January) at an event commemorating International Customs Day at the National Revenue Building, Dr Ahmed addressed public concerns, particularly those surrounding the recent VAT hikes.

"We don't always reveal the whole story," he said. "Yes, people are struggling with rising prices of essential goods, but this is not a deliberate attempt to create hardship. The real issue lies in systemic inefficiencies, and we are working to address them."

Dr Ahmed further elaborated on his analogy by saying, "The government is like a child. If it scores 70 out of 100 today, some might praise the effort, while others question why it didn't achieve 100. This kind of mindset makes progress difficult. Constructive criticism is necessary, but good performance also deserves acknowledgment."

Addressing the media, he urged journalists to adopt a more balanced perspective. "In Bangladesh, it often feels like things are either entirely bad or entirely good. Sometimes, it's portrayed as though the country itself doesn't exist. Onion prices have decreased, potato prices have dropped, but rice prices have risen significantly. Not all commodity prices move in the same direction simultaneously—this is true in any country. However, we acknowledge that many items remain out of reach for the general public, and people are indeed suffering."

On the topic of economic reforms, Dr Ahmed highlighted their urgency. "Reforms are critical at this stage. If we delay, implementing them will only get harder. That said, it's not impossible. The main challenges lie in fundamental laws and regulations, but with efficient, transparent, and proper use of procedural laws, reforms can be achieved. The systems exist; the issue is in their execution."

He pointed to inefficiencies, using the example of the National Single Window project. "A project of this scale taking six years to implement is abnormal. While we have many essential laws and processes in place—some newly introduced—the core problem remains in execution."

Dr Ahmed called for a collective effort to overcome these challenges, focusing on better implementation of existing frameworks to drive economic progress.