Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has cautiously welcomed the government’s decision not to include any provision for legalising black money in the proposed budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year. At the same time, it has demanded that disclosure of asset declarations by public servants be made mandatory before implementing the new pay scale for government employees.

In a statement issued Thursday, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, “The decision not to include the unconstitutional, discriminatory, and corruption-enabling provision for legalising black money in the proposed budget sends an important message in support of the government’s anti-corruption electoral commitment.”

He cautioned, however, that such provisions have often been reintroduced later through Finance Bills under various pretexts, and urged the government to break this entrenched practice.

The TIB chief noted that while the proposed salary increase for government employees is justified after 11 years, asset disclosure must be a condition for eligibility to ensure accountability and corruption-free service delivery.

"The commitment made in the budget speech to ‘enhance the efficiency of tax administration and ensure transparency and accountability in the tax system’ must be effectively implemented. Honest income earners must be able to pay taxes in a harassment-free environment. In this regard, effective accountability of the relevant authorities and an appropriate enabling environment must be ensured," he said.

He called for stronger measures to curb corruption within the revenue administration, saying technology-based monitoring alone is not enough.

TIB further expressed disappointment at the absence of any clear roadmap for good governance in budget implementation, urging the government to address the issue in the final budget.