A weeklong National Income Tax Fair 2015 kicked off across the country yesterday amidst mad rush of the taxpayers and service seekers from the one-stop services.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is organising the countrywide fair for the sixth consecutive years to provide tax-related assistance and motivating people to contribute to the national exchequer.
The tax fair offers registration of Electronic Taxpayers Identification Number, pay tax, file returns and encourage prospective taxpayers to get involved with the country’s taxation system.
On the opening day, the NBR bagged over Tk153 crore revenue through collection of 14,998 income tax returns across the country while a total of 57,047 people received different services from the fair.
Besides, a total of 2,705 people registered themselves with e-TIN while 827 taxpayers re-registered with e-TIN replacing their old 10 digits TIN.
Launching the central programme at a ceremony held at Officers’ Club in the capital, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu urged all to pay their due taxes for the sake of ensuring country’s development and welfare of the citizens.
“It’s better to take big projects like Padma Bridge with own sources. If we got the fund from the World Bank, 75% of the fund had to spend in the name of consultancy and only 20 to 25% fund could be used for the implementation of the projects.”
Expressing his utter dissatisfaction over the lower income tax rate in Bangladesh, the minister said, “The number of taxpayers is very still very low in terms of the total population comparing to any other countries in the region.”
“If the country’s solvent people pay theirdue taxes spontaneously, Bangladesh would soon become a middle-income country even before 2021 and a developed one before 2014,” he added.
The fair is being simultaneously held at all the seven divisional headquarters for seven days while four days in the 57 district headquarters. Among them, the fair was kicked off in 13 district headquarters yesterday.
The fair will also be held in 86 upazilas under 49 districts to make people more aware about the significances and benefits of paying taxes.
Among them, 29 upazilas will observe it for two days while 57 upazilas will observe mobile fair for a day in their convenience schedule in the week. Among them, a two-day fair began yesterday in six upazila’s.
During a visit to the tax fair at Officers Club premises in the capital, it was found that taxpayers of different ages and categories were inquiring about the services while some others taking assistance from the taxmen.
As the official deadline for submission of income tax return will end on September 30, taxpayers are gathering at the fair venues to file their returns.
Tax officials were seen busy providing tax-related facilities in a client friendly manner to the service seekers.
To facilitate tax-related transactions and help the visitors, E-TIN registration booths, E-payment booths, income tax return filing booths, help and inquiry desks, emergency health booths, form distribution booths, media booth etc were set up at the fair premises in Dhaka.
Along with the regular activities, the fair also have booths of value-added tax and customs wings of the NBR and also booth of Department of National Savings.
Separate booths for women, disabled people and senior citizens are set up in the fair. Sonali Bank and Janata Bank set up booths at the venue to facilitate people making financial transactions in the fair. The fair is open for the visitors from 10am to 5pm.The NBR has been organising the national tax fair since 2010 to develop a tax paying culture among the people.
In Chittagong, the weeklong income tax fair-2015 started yesterday (Wednesday) with new and innovative services for attracting taxpayers to pay taxes. The fair is going on at the ground adjoining of Chittagong Government Offices Building-2 at Agrabad area in the port city. Chittagong City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin inaugurated the fair as chief guest.
The fair’s Organising Committee Convener Kazi Emdadul Haque, also the commissioner of Chittagong Taxation Region (Appeal) and the four-taxation region’s commissioners-Md Dabir Uddin, Apurbo Kanti Das, Md Nazrul Islam and Pradyut Kumar Sarkar attended the ceremony. The fair remains open for the visitors from 10:00am to 6:00pm every day.
Besides, a daylong mobile tax fair will be held at Chittagong’s Anwara, Patiya, Lohagara, Chandanaish, Raozan, Hathazari, Sitakunda, Boalkhali and Satkania upazilas and Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf upazila while Cox’s Bazar Chokoria upazila gets a two-day fair under the supervision of Chittagong Income Taxation Department. A total 2,80,217 taxpayers are in Chittagong under the four regions, said income tax officials.
