Revenue earnings of Ctg tax region jump over threefold in eight years

CHATTOGRAM, Nov 12: Revenue earnings of the Chattogram tax region have surged over threefold in the last eight years.

The Income Tax division in Chattogram realized taxes totalling Tk 101.12 billion in the last financial year, 2017-18, while the figure was Tk 27.50 billion in 2009-10.

In view of its performance, the tax region has set its target for the current financial year at around Tk 145 billion (14,500 crore).

The region has also extended its tax net raising the number of taxpayers by around 0.1 million (one lakh). The taxes commissioners in four taxes zones in Chattogram are working to raise the number of total taxpayers to 0.35 million in the region.

The taxes officials disclosed the figures at a press conference at its conference room in the regional office at Agrabad in the city on Sunday on the eve of the weeklong Income Tax Fair beginning in the port city on Tuesday (today).

Md Motaher Hossain, Commissioner of Taxes Zone-1, Chittagong and convener of the Income Taxes Fair Observation Committee 2018, said the government is steering the country towards progress by attaching highest importance to the income tax sector and utilising the country's internal resources.

Income Tax Commissioners of Zone-2, Zone-3 and Zone-4 Harun or Rashid, Mahbubur Rahman and Lutful Azim respectively, Income tax Commissioner (Appeal) Md Nazmul Karim and Member Secretary of the Income Taxes Fair Observation Committee and Additional Commissioner of Zone-4 Md Mafiz Ullah also spoke.

Motaher Hossain said the government has turned the donor countries and agencies into development associates which is undoubtedly a great achievement in its efforts to build a self-reliant economy.

He said the Income Tax Day is being observed in the country since 2008 and the Income Tax Fair since 2010, aimed at providing hassle-free services to taxpayers, raising awareness among them and allaying their misgivings about taxes.

At the tax fairs, interactions between the tax officials and taxpayers have helped changed the mindset of the taxpayers who once thought that it is the duty of only wealthy persons to pay taxes, he said.

He also said income tax is one of the major sources of government revenue in the developed world, because big global budgets are mostly dependent on the successful realisation of the internal resources.

Motaher Hossain said the four zones of the Income Tax division in Chattogram realized taxes totalling Tk 101.12 billion in the last financial year, 2017-18, against Tk 84.18 billion collected in the previous year-an increase of 20.12 per cent.

The total revenue earning through the National Board of Revenue in the last financial year was Tk 2153.18 billion against the previous year's revenue of Tk 1850.03 billion, he said.

The revenue earning target for the current fiscal is set at Tk 2962.01 billion, including the earning target of Tk 1022.01 billion in the Income Tax sector, he added.

This year, the Income Tax Fair will be held at the city's GEC Convention Centre. Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation AJM Nasir Uddin will inaugurate the weeklong fair as the chief guest at 10:00am.

Member (Tax Appeal) of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Raushan Ara Akhtar, Commissioner, Custom Excise and VAT, Syed Golam Kibria, president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mahbubul Alam and president of the Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Monowara Hakim Ali will address the event as special guests.

Also, four-day Income Tax Fairs will also be held in Cox's Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari, one-day Mobile Income Tax Fairs at Mirsarai, Anwara, Lohagara, Chandanaish, Raojan, Hathazari, Boalkhali, Satkania and Ramu upazilas, one-day fairs at Chakaria and Teknaf and two-day fair at Sitakunda simultaneously.

Meanwhile, the Chattogram Tax region has awarded special honours to 39 taxpayers in the city and five districts in different categories.

Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin presented crests to them at the best taxpayers award ceremony at the fair venue on Monday afternoon.

The awardees are Abdul Motaleb, SAM Shahjahan, Salahuddin Kasem Khan, Md Kamal, Alihussain Akbarali, Farhana Momen, Shahadat Hossain, Bisheswar Gupta, Sadre Ala, Asit Kumar Saha, Didarul Alam, Abdul Malek, Rupali Huq Chowdhury, Ashikur Rahman Laskar, Osman Gani, Hafizul Islam, Kamrun Nahar, Alam Kawser, Engineer M Alamgir, Layla Begum, Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, Rabindra Lal dey, Madhab Nag, Lokman Hakim, Abul Mansur Obaidullah, Sultan Kamruddin, Chitra Chakma, Asaduzzaman Mohsin, Nurul Absar, Amal Kanti Das, Mahbubur Rahman, May Hla Pru, Swapan Debnath, Shamsul Alam, Farida Akhtar, Shiv Shankar Dey, Nur Nahar Begum and Abul Kalam.

[email protected]