Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Wednesday expressed optimism that the government would be able to achieve its revenue collection target, saying the country's economic situation was expected to improve gradually in the coming quarters.

“We expect the situation to improve in the coming days. I hope we will be able to achieve the target. Everything will gradually move upward, although it will take some time for the impact to become visible,” he said.

The minister made the remarks while speaking to reporters after a meeting with senior National Board of Revenue (NBR) officials at the NBR headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka.

He said the first quarter of the current fiscal year had just ended and the economic situation was expected to improve further as the country moved through the second, third and fourth quarters.

Regarding government expenditure and project implementation, Khosru said all decisions were being taken after careful calculations, with no spending beyond the government's financial capacity.

“We are giving importance to every project to ensure that public money is not wasted in any way and is spent properly,” he said.

The minister stressed that every penny of taxpayers' money must generate added value and deliver returns on investment, including employment opportunities.

The government was making expenditures after considering these factors and maintaining a balance between revenue and spending, he said, expressing confidence that it was moving in the right direction.

On discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Khosru said negotiations and related work were ongoing, with a working group engaged in discussions on several issues.

He expressed hope that progress would be made by January.

Regarding the proposed IMF loan, the minister said securing the loan itself was not the main issue, describing the engagement as part of a broader economic programme involving several development partners.

“It is a comprehensive programme,” he said, adding that the government's engagements under it involved the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Islamic Development Bank and other multilateral and bilateral development partners.

Khosru also mentioned financing through various bonds as part of the government's broader financing arrangements.

He said the working group was continuing discussions with the IMF on the programme and expressed hope that the process would be completed within the stipulated timeframe.