Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday called upon the countrymen to pay their taxes, stressing the need for increasing revenue income and expanding the tax net in view of the ongoing global economic crisis.
“Those who are able to pay taxes not only in the capital or in cities, but also across the country, please pay your taxes. The government will use your money in your service and welfare,” she said.
While inaugurating the country's first-ever two-day Revenue Conference, aimed at developing the revenue management system, she said the entire world is now going through an economic recession and high inflation rate which also fell upon Bangladesh.
“So we have to step ahead after facing those (economic recession and high inflation rate). The more we collect taxes, the more it will be easy and possible to overcome them,” she said.
The prime minister asked the authorities concerned to work with sincerity and professionalism to extend the tax net instead of increasing tax rates and wage a massive awareness campaign across the country to inspire the people to pay taxes.
Referring to her government's policy of making huge development at the grassroots in the last 14 years since 2009, she said there are people with the ability to pay taxes at union and upazila levels.
She added: “We do not want to increase taxes rates as inflation is high now. We want to increase the number of taxpayers and you should pay attention to it.”
The prime minister thanked the revenue collection authority for introducing the e-tax filing system cashing in on the advantages of being a digital Bangladesh. The people will be inspired to pay their taxes online as many considered paying taxes manually a hassle, she said, asking all authorities concerned to popularize the system through massive publicity.
She once again vowed to build a developed, prosperous and smart Bangladesh by 2041, saying: “We will make our economy smart and we will build a smart Bangladesh through it.”
She opened the conference at a function held at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in the capital.
Internal Resources Division Senior Secretary and National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem and Member Dr Abdul Mannan Shikder spoke at the function.
A documentary on the activities of the NBR was screened on the occasion.
The prime minister earlier inaugurated the newly constructed 12-storey Revenue Building of the NBR at Agargaon, built at a cost of Tk412 crore, by unveiling its plaque in the morning.
After opening the building, the prime minister looked around its different sections.
