The National Board of Revenue has decided to air different awareness raising programmes on tax payment in the country’s community radio stations on regular basis.
The programmes will intend to educate rural people about tax and encourage them to pay tax, said officials.
As per the plan, the community radios will air constructive activities of NBR on income tax, customs, and value added tax.
The programmes will contain different messages on revenue related laws and importance of paying tax.
The revenue authorities, on February 14, organised a meeting in its headquarters with representatives from different government-run mass media organisations. NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman presided over the meeting.
During the meeting, the stakeholders decided that the country’s community radios and the state-run Bangladesh Television will run different programmes and documentaries on revenue-related issues.
The NBR has made the plan as community radio has established itself as a popular tool in awareness raising campaign and bringing changes in the society.
The community radio stations played a significant role in alerting people during the cyclones like Mahasen and Komen, when all other modes of communication became ineffective.
Currently, there are 16 community radio stations located in 16 districts in addition to the state-run radio station Bangladesh Betar.
These community radio stations are broadcasting a total of 125 hours of programmes every day on information, education, local entertainment and development motivation activities.
Once introduced, listeners of existing community radio stations- which is over 5.6m – will get different messages on tax payment.
In addition, the Directorate of Mass Communication will also help NBR to make the plan a success by organising innovative campaigns like film screening, distribution of publication materials to mass level people in different districts, the meeting has decided.
Although the programmes will include messages on all three core wings of NBR, emphasis, however, will be given on the new VAT and Supplementary Duty Act, which will come into effect from July, 2016, officials said.
The NBR will soon hold a secretary-level meeting with the information ministry to finalise and implement the plan smoothly, they said.
