Govt tightens oversight of public assets to reduce long-term fiscal risks

The government has introduced a new Property, Plant and Equipment (PPE) and Lease Manual aimed at strengthening asset governance and curbing long-term liabilities amid weak oversight of public resources.

The move comes as the Finance Division revealed that Bangladesh's total contingent liabilities have reached Tk 6,39,782.58 crore, much of it linked to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and poorly monitored asset and lease arrangements that pose serious risks to macroeconomic stability, said a press release.

Senior government officials made the remarks at a two-day workshop titled "SOEs and ABs Governance: Progress Review and Way Forward", held on January 16-17, 2026, at a hotel in Cox's Bazar.
The event was organized by Scheme on SOE Governance under Strengthening Public Financial Management Program to Enable Service Delivery (SPFMS), Finance Division (FD).

Md. Hasanul Matin, Additional Secretary (Budget and Macroeconomics), FD, attended the workshop as chief guest, while Dr. Ziaul Abedin, Additional Secretary (Budget) and National Program Director of SPFMS, joined as the guest of honour.

Rahima Begum, Director General (Additional Secretary), Monitoring Cell, FD, chaired the session. Around 80 officials from the Finance Division and various ministries and autonomous bodies participated.

Md. Hasanul Matin said, "Inefficient performance of several SOEs has significantly increased contingent liabilities. The creation of multiple authorities for similar purposes has led to overlapping functions, which must be avoided."

"Our major challenges today include rising debt burdens and declining revenue generation. Addressing these issues requires a whole-of-government approach," he noted.

Dr. Ziaul Abedin said, "In a market economy, only commercially viable SOEs should continue to operate, while others should be restructured or phased out. But this has not happened in Bangladesh. Transforming SOEs requires strong political commitment", he said

Rahima Begum emphasized that SOEs and autonomous bodies play a crucial role in strengthening the national economy, but inefficiency, weak financial management, and lack of accountability have sharply increased debt and contingent liabilities.

"We are identifying key challenges and focusing on practical solutions, including stronger audits, digital systems, and improved oversight to ensure good governance," she said.

Four business sessions were held in the workshop. The first session was on SABRE+ System: An integrated Database of the SoE and Abs.

Presentation was made by Md. Amirul Islam, Additional Director General, Monitoring Cell, FD and the session was moderated by Md. Firoj Ahmed, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Shipping.

The session discussed the SABRE+ (State-owned Enterprises, Autonomous Bodies, Budget Reporting and Evaluation System) is an integrated digital platform developed by the Finance Division.

The second session was held on DCL Statements and Fiscal Risk Statement of SoEs and Abs. Ibrahim Khalid, Director, SoE Wing, FD made presentation.

The Finance Division also identified persistent governance weaknesses, including delays in audited financial statements, weak audit committees, shortages of professional accountants, and incomplete financial data.

The third business session on Policy and Procedures Manual for PPE and Other Assets and Preparation of Fixed Asset Register of SoEs and Abs where Md. Firoj Ahmed, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Shipping made presentation.

The fourth session on SoEs and Abs Governance Reform Strategy 2025-30 in which presentation was made by Rahima Begum, Director General, Monitoring Cell, FD and Dr. A K M Atiqul Haque doderated it.

This session highlighted that the strategy focuses on strengthening core PFM institutions, modernizing systems and processes, and reinforcing governance and transparency across the public sector. �"BSS