To protect marginalized communities from the pressure of inflation, the government has continued the distribution of essential goods under the Smart Family Card program.
Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed presented the proposed budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, amounting to Tk7,89,999 crore, in a televised speech on Monday.
The adviser said that starting from January 2025, a total of 5.7 million families holding Smart Family Cards are being regularly supplied with essential commodities, including lentils and soybean oil, through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
He further mentioned that to support low-income and marginalized people, it has been proposed to extend the duration of the current food assistance program by six months in the upcoming fiscal year.
Additionally, the program plans to include 500,000 more families, alongside the existing 5 million beneficiaries.
The adviser said: “Incentives on food and essential items will continue to shield ordinary people from the blows of inflation. This is not only a matter of social security but also a crucial step toward maintaining economic stability.”