The cabinet approved Monday the draft "Development Surcharge and Levy (Imposition and Realisation) Act, 2015 to impose a 1.0 per cent surcharge on the use of SIM or RIM cards of mobile phone operators aiming to raise funds for public welfare.
"The surcharge will be applicable for the total amount of the mobile phone charge of the users for collecting Tk 1.40 billion annually to be spent on education and health sectors," Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters after the cabinet meeting.
He said the draft act will be tabled in parliament soon after scrutiny. He, however, said the rate of the surcharge might be changed through a gazette notification.
"The money which will come as 1.0 per cent surcharge will be deposited with the exchequer by the mobile phone operators," Mr Bhuiyan said.
Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina presided over the weekly cabinet meeting at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
The Cabinet Secretary said the council of ministers sent back the draft "Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Act, 2015' for further scrutiny.
It also directed the department concerned to examine the necessity of the amendment to the existing "Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Act, 2010". Besides, it approved two proposals for ratification of two cooperation agreements signed between Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
These are Agreement on Security Cooperation between Bangladesh and the UAE and Agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between Bangladesh and the UAE.
As per the security deal, Bangladesh and the UAE agreed to exchange information related to security and combat crimes, illegal trafficking and smuggling of drugs, arms, explosives, narcotics and on the issues of money laundering, cyber crimes, counterfeiting official legal documents and intellectual property rights.
The other agreement is a pact for extradition of the convicted persons between the two countries. The agreement was signed to help the sentenced persons return to their respective countries and give them opportunity to serve their sentences in their own countries.
The cabinet adopted a condolence motion at the death of Lee Kuan Yew, founder of modern Singapore and first prime minister of that country. He died on March 23 last at the age of 91.
Terming him (Lee Kuan) a great well-wisher of Bangladesh, it also expressed profound shock at his death.
His external policy helped strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries and take relationship to new heights during the tenure of the incumbent government led by Sheikh Hasina, said the obituary proposal.
It said friendly ties with Singapore helped Bangladesh send more manpower to that country. The world has lost a farsighted statesman and person of wisdom at the demise of Lee Kuan Yew, it added.
At the beginning of the meeting, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam handed over Women in Parliament (WIP) Global Forum Award to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The country has received the prestigious award for its leading role in reducing gender gap in political arena in South and Southeast Asia.
On behalf of Sheikh Hasina, Mr Alam received the award conferred by WIP in its summit held at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on March 25, 2015.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com
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