Barisal City Corporation (BCC) has taken steps to collect Tk70crore arrear holding tax from defaulters.
Abu Al Masud Mamun, BCC tax officer, said they would start announcement over public system from Sunday to clear the matter within January 31.
The BCC would seize properties of the defaulters from mid-February after serving notices chronologically to long-period, mid-period and short-period defaulters, Abu Al added.
Sources in the city corporation said more than 40% of the arrear was due in different public and autonomous sectors and the rest 60% with small holding owners and private sectors.
Among the public sector defaulters, Tk4.5crore is due with 70 government, semi-government and autonomous offices and institutions and Tk2.58core with 371 small public and private holding owners.
Among the major 70 tax-defaulters, Tk60.88lakh is due with the Barisal Government Brojo Mohun College, Tk39lakh with upazila education office, Tk38lakh with district judge courtship, Tk27lakh with executive engineer Public Works Department, Tk26lakh with Barisal General Hospital, Tk25lakh with Abdur Rob Serniabad Teachers Training Centre, Tk22lakh with Barisal Sadar upazila nirbahi office, Tk17lakh with the Institute of Health and Technology, Tk16lakh with Technical Training Centre, Tk15lakh with the Armed Police Battalion, Tk14lakh with assistant commissioner of land office and Tk12lakh with the executive engineer Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority.
The BCC is facing crisis while bearing regular expenses like the salaries of its staff and employees.
Ahsan Habib Kamal, BCC mayor said realisation of arrears from private sector holding owners was easier than that from the public-sector holdings due to limitations of jurisdiction and legal tangle.
Our legal advisors tried to find out the process of taking action against the public sector tax defaulters, the mayor said.