FBCCI members urged the NBR authorities again to check harassment by field-level tax officials in the name of tax collection.
They alleged that despite NBR chairman’s recent promise to adopt zero-tolerance policy against tax officials’ alleged malpractices, the situation has not improved, rather worsened.
They were speaking at the “NBR-FBCCI Partnership Dialogue” at Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB) auditorium in the capital yesterday.
Such dialogue was also held on Nov 9 at the FBCCI office where tax collection harassment complaints were placed befor the NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman. The NBR chief promised to stop it, if any.
At the dialogue yesterday, FBCCI President Abdul Matlub Ahmad said the businesses want to pay taxes, but they do not want to pay Tk3 for Tk1 revenue.
“A number of business leaders have personally met me in my office after the first dialogue. They alleged that the harrassments have rather increased,” Matlub Ahmad said.
He recommended the revenue dialogues should also held in the field-level, where the harassments are taking place.
Bangladesh Dokan Malik Samity President SA Quader Kiron said harassment by tax officials has increased after first partnership dialogue. “We cannot pay bribe to tax officials.”
FBCCI director Abu Ahmed Motaleb suggested launching drives against those who are not paying VAT.
National Association of Small and Cottage Industries of Bangladesh President Mirza Nurul Gani Shovon said a coordination committee should be formed which will act in the central level and will also work in district levels to reduce harassment and help NBR to increase its tax base.
FBCCI adviser Manzur Ahmed stressed the need to form strong partnership to achieve the revenue target of Tk176,370 crore.
In response, NBR chairman said the NBR was having discussions with the businesses, entrepreneurs and the innovators.
“The time is very much crucial for achieving the revenue target. We have to collect Tk483 crore revenue everyday and Tk20 crore revenue every hour to achieve the target,” he said.
He said the revenue dialogue will also organised in district levels to foster friendly relations between taxmen and businesses.
NBR senior member Farid Uddin said the tax-GDP ratio is lowest in Bangladesh in South Asia.
“The government wants to increase size of the budget at Tk500,000 crore in next few years, but the investment is very low. We have to increase the revenue earning to boost investment,” he said.
“The amount of tax collection is very low in Bangladesh given its potentiality and there are a huge tax gap.”
NBR member Jahangir Hossain said the alleged harassment will disappear once everything goes online with the enforcement of new VAT law.
