NBR: CNG autorickshaws, three-wheelers will come under tax net

All CNG-driven autorickshaws and other three-wheelers will be brought under the tax net in the national budget for 2018-19 fiscal year. “Tax Identification Number (TIN) will be made mandatory for owners of all CNG-driven autorickshaws and other engine or battery-driven three-wheelers... they must have TIN from the next fiscal year," National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said at a pre-budget talk in Dhaka on Thursday. The meeting was attended by leaders of Bangladesh Automobile Workshop Owners Association, Four Stroke CNG Autorickshaw and Three-Wheelers Motorbike Owners Association of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, and Bangladesh Motor Parts and Tyre Tube Traders Association. Addressing the meeting, Md Aslam Ali, president of the autorickshaw and three-wheelers owners association, said CNG autorickshaws must have trade licence and they should be brought under tax net. In addition, services of CNG autorickshaws and three-wheelers need to be mobile application-based, he added. The NBR chairman reiterated Aslam's statement. He further said the next budget would be a balanced one and the NBR would remain careful so business people do not have to bear the extra burden of tax even after a rise in the collection target of revenue. "Tax will be fixed in a way so business people can pay the extra tax through expanding their businesses," he added. He said the NBR would constitute a committee to accept the proposals of the business people. The board It will continue to work with the business people even after the budget and if there are good proposals, there will be scope to change those through issuing SRO, he added. "We will form this committee at the end of this month or in the first week of May," he said. Automobile workshop owners' association President Md Arifur Rahman Mina proposed to give 20% cash incentive to exporters of motorcycle. He also proposed to extend the existing VAT exemption facility for motorbike production for the next five years.