Finance Minister Muhith favours coordination over pressing for taxes

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has emphasised coordination instead of intimidation to boost revenue collection.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 15 Sept 2015, 04:27 PM
Updated : 15 Sept 2015, 04:28 PM

He admitted that the National Board of Revenue (NBR) often breathed down on taxpayers and pledged to end the harassment.

He was speaking as the chief guest at a programme to mark the National Income Tax Day on Tuesday.

The finance minister also promised incentives to taxpayers following demands made by business leaders.

At the event, 10 individuals and 10 firms were awarded for being the top taxpayers.

Muhith lamented the fact that there was only a small number of taxpayers compared to the country’s population.

He added the revenue collection had to be boosted to enable the government spend a lot more on people’s welfare.

“People’s welfare is the main objective of an ideal state. And revenue is needed for the welfare of the state,” he said.

Apex trade body FBCCI’s President Abdul Matlub Ahmad said, “We get the shivers on hearing the name of the revenue board.”

He, however, added the board was not as ‘bad’ as it used to be. “But one does here of harassment of businessmen in the self-assessment tax system.”

“We’ll step ahead to pay taxes only if you (NBR officials) do not harass us. We don’t want Tk 3 worth of harassment while paying a tax worth Tk 1,” he added.

The finance minister said, “You (businessmen) allege that the government presses you for taxes. It is partially true. The government is now trying to avoid that. So, we are coordinating with you as much as possible.”

The FBCCI chief proposed giving at least one top taxpayer from each district the status of a commercially important person.

NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman said the proposal was worth considering.

“It’s time to give incentives for paying taxes. People will be encouraged by this,” he said.