The government has warned that public officials will be held accountable if business licences and approvals are not issued within seven days, signalling a tougher approach to enforcing its promised deregulation agenda.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury made the pledge during post-budget press conference on Friday, arguing that bureaucratic delays and excessive regulation have become major obstacles to investment, employment and economic growth.
The warning marks one of the strongest implementation commitments made alongside the proposed FY2026-27 budget, which places private investment and business expansion at the centre of the government’s economic recovery strategy.
“We have no compromise on deregulation,” the finance minister said.
“If we cannot remove unnecessary regulations, neither local nor foreign investors will invest in Bangladesh.”
He said the government intends to introduce a system under which licences and approvals must be issued within seven days.
“If it takes eight days instead of seven, someone will have to answer for it,” he said.
The minister’s remarks reflect growing frustration within the government over what it sees as a persistent gap between policy announcements and implementation.
“There is a difference between making policy and implementing policy,” he said.
According to the finance minister, Bangladesh’s business environment remains burdened by hidden costs that go far beyond taxes and official fees.
He argued that entrepreneurs often face lengthy delays, repeated paperwork, overlapping approvals and administrative bottlenecks that increase the cost of doing business and discourage investment.
Throughout the budget speech and the subsequent press conference, ministers repeatedly linked those inefficiencies to slower investment growth, weaker competitiveness and higher prices for consumers.
To address the problem, the government plans to establish a high-powered taskforce to oversee implementation of reform measures across ministries and agencies.
Officials said a dedicated online platform will also be introduced to allow businesses and citizens to directly report delays, harassment and regulatory obstacles.
The complaints will be monitored centrally as part of a broader effort to strengthen accountability within the public administration.
The government also plans to monitor projects and approvals through a digital dashboard system, allowing senior policymakers, including the Prime Minister, to track implementation and intervene in real time.
The accountability push forms part of a wider deregulation programme outlined in the budget.
The package includes automation of tax and VAT administration, faster customs clearance, expansion of bonded warehouse facilities, simplified procedures and wider use of digital services.
The finance minister argued that reducing the cost of doing business is critical to the government’s broader economic strategy.
He said Bangladesh cannot achieve higher investment, stronger job creation or lower inflation without addressing the administrative barriers that increase business costs.
