DHAKA, Nov 13, 2018 (BSS)- Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith today
said at least four crore people in the country should pay income tax to
contribute the development of the nation considering its economic capacity.
“But, some 30 lakh people are now paying tax. If more people pay income
tax, then it will be possible to widen the coverage of government services,”
he said.
The minister said this while addressing an inaugural ceremony of the week-
long “Income Tax Fair” at Officers Club premises in the city today and other
divisional headquarters across the country aiming to help the taxpayers fill
tax returns and facilitate other tax-related works.
State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan spoke on the occasion
chaired by Senior Secretary of the Internal Resources Division (IRD) and the
National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman M Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan.
Convennor of the Income Tax Fair and NBR member Ziauddin Mahmud also spoke.
Mentioning that the government has been working to improve the living
standards of the country’s people, Muhith said for ensuring that every
eligible individual should have to pay tax as because development is being
unleashed in the country with the taxpayers’ money.
State Minister MA Mannan said reform is going on to make the tax structure
more simple adding, “It’s an ongoing process and it will be simplified more
in future,”
NBR Chairman said the taxpayers are getting all necessary services at the
fair under one roof. He also directed the tax officials to render tax related
services at their respective offices with the same environment that prevailed
in the fair.
Noting that the tax-GDP ratio in the country is still low around 10
percent, Mosharraf also underscored the need for raising this ratio to 15
percent in the next two to three years with the united efforts from all.
Just after the formal inauguration of the fair, the taxpayers thronged the
booths of the various tax zones at the Fair to submit their income tax
returns.
In the fair, the taxpayers will get all tax related services under one roof
like bank booths, assistance centers, separate booths for the female,
physically challenged, freedom fighters and elderly taxpayers while scope is
also there for submission of returns through online and e-filing.
The fair will continue till November 19 from 8am to 5pm every day, the new
taxpayers will be able to get their e-TIN while the old taxpayers will also
be able to register their e-TIN during the fair. Besides, separate booths are
there for ensuring e-payment.
The government at first introduced the income tax fair in 2010 at Dhaka
and in Chattogram aiming to make easy the process of paying income tax and
create awareness among the people on income tax.
This fair will also be held in all districts and 32 upazilas. The duration
of district level fair will be four days while upazila level fair two days.
Besides, a daylong mobile fair will be held at 70 upazilas across the
country.