The National Board of Revenue (NBR) gets pressured by various other government organizations when their demands for tax and VAT exemptions are not accepted, said the chairman of the NBR while expressing his regrets on that culture.
NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem said: “Different government organizations and ministries pressure us (NBR) into giving them tax or value-added tax (VAT) exemption, but when they fail to secure the waiver, they say they were unable to do things as the NBR did not provide them with certain advantages.”
The NBR chief also said that his remarks are not aimed at provoking the government organizations or ministries; rather they intended to create a tax culture among everyone while addressing a pre-budget discussion with the members of the Economic Reporters' Forum (ERF) at the NBR Building in Dhaka's Segunbagicha on Tuesday.
The NBR chairman also expressed interest in protecting local industries in the forthcoming budget.
He said that support for local industries, especially for those who produce consumer goods would be in consideration in the next budget.
"We don't want consumer goods to be imported from China, Taiwan, or any other country. It's a shame that these products sometimes have to be brought from Pakistan," he added.
When asked about backing sectors outside of the RMG, he said: "We are struggling to cope with what has already been offered. People are misusing our bond facilities and this will be hard to eradicate."
During the discussion, various proposals were also put forward by ERF President Sharmin Rinvy and General Secretary SM Rashidul Islam among others.
The Economic Reporters Forum (ERF), an organization of journalists from the economic beat, has made several demands to increase the scope of the tax, including infrastructural development of the NBR and reduction of tax rates in the city corporation area.
The organization also suggested strengthening the NBR's efforts to bring foreign nationals under the tax net.
ERF President Sharmin Rinvy said: “Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal had informed the Parliament that there were 85,486 foreign nationals working in Bangladesh. But only 14 to 15 thousand submitted income tax to NBR. According to a study by TIB, foreigners working in the country take away Tk26,000 crore a year.”
“The NBR's initiative needs to be strengthened to bring all foreign nationals working in the country under the tax net,” she added.
Senior NBR officials also attended and spoke at the event.
However, these pre-budget talks with business associations as well as professionals began last Sunday to make the next budget more participatory, logical, balanced and people-oriented. Before the national budget, NBR organizes these types of conversations every year.
On the first day of this year’s pre-budget talks NBR invited the owners of television and newspapers.
The discussion will continue in two sessions every day till March 20.
