Aziz sees no impact of arrests on economy

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Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam thinks the arrest of top leaders of political parties wouldn't cast any adverse impact on the country's economy as the economic indicators doing "well", reports UNB.
"Arrest of a leader will not impact on the economy as the economic indicators of the country are faring well," he told newsmen after his meeting with National Board of Revenue (NBR) officials in the NBR conference room Monday morning.
His remark came shortly after the arrest of former prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, at the height of a political purge in the interim period against the backdrop of the recent political turmoil over election issues.
Dozens of top politicians, including former ministers and lawmakers, business tycoons and bureaucrats and officials have been booked on charges of corruption in the ongoing drive by army-led joint forces against serious crime and corruption.
Responding to a question, the custodian of exchequer of the caretaker government said there is no turmoil in the fundamental infrastructure of the economy and it remained normal now.
"The economic activities are hampered when there is any turmoil in the country or if there is any unrest among the workers. The economic indicators are very much healthy, and you will realise that if you look at the settlement of LCs and other indicators," he said.
NBR Chairman Badiur Rahman, members and other officials were present at the meeting.
Azizul Islam asked the revenue officials to encourage people to pay income tax voluntarily and try hard to bring the income-tax-eligible people under the tax net.
He also directed expanding internal monitoring of the NBR for achieving the revenue target for the fiscal 2007-08.
The direction came at his meeting with National Board of Revenue (NBR) officials in the NBR conference room Monday morning.
In this connection, while talking to reporters Aziz informed them that from now on he would hold a meeting in every three months with the NBR officials for taking stock of the revenue-collection situation.
Saying that getting at the target of collecting Tk 438.50 billion (43,850 crore) in revenue is not impossible, he noted that the NBR achieved 99.10 per cent of its revised target for the past fiscal year 2006-07.
"I asked the NBR officials to achieve the target to prove baseless the comments that the budget is highly ambitious," he told the reporters.
NBR Chairman Badiur Rahman, members and other officials were present at the meeting.