Dhaka, April 13 -- Interest payments, subsidies, incentives and cash loans could gobble up big pies of the next budget as the government earmarks over Tk 2.59 trillion on this account and officials predict higher energy costs could bloat the figure.

The sum is roughly 27.86 per cent of the national budget worth Tk 9.3 trillion for fiscal year 206-27, officials at the finance division say.

The amount is 7.99-percent higher than the Tk 2.39-trillion revised allocation in the current fiscal year.

They say subsidy allocations have not been estimated taking into account a potential doubling of fuel-import costs amid the ongoing volatility and caution that if the Gulf conflict persists, additional funding will be required for gas, power and ...