BRTA fails to launch online service fully

The sufferings of service-seekers of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) are yet to abate because of its failure in introducing online service fully. Officials said BRTA introduced its online service with a target to reduce both time and cost of different services but this has not been made possible due to the mismatch of its service with the system of National Board of Revenue (NBR). They said the BRTA service recipients still have to go to the NBR for getting clearance and make payment related to income tax returns as the revenue board is yet to introduce its online service. "The NBR is also not ready to accept BRTA's bank-based service to help the authority get the desired information from online so that people concerned can enjoy one stop service," said a senior official. The BRTA online service was introduced with support of some private banks in November last. The officials said as the NBR is yet to introduce the online income tax return filling system, it has caused the applicants of BRTA services to wait for long to get related information manually. "Having an online system matched with the NBR has now become necessary as the government has assigned the BRTA to collect tax and VAT on behalf of the revenue board," the official said. The BRTA uses the online service of the Southeast Bank, BRAC Bank and United Commercial Bank to get information about fees payment while providing different services. The NBR officials, however, said they do not want to put burden on the tax payers to pay service charges which the private sector banks take for allowing the BRTA to use their online to know fees payment-related information. The BRTA officials said though it is not the task of the BRTA to carry out tax-related works, its dependence on NBR has increased for the government's new directives to collect revenues on behalf of the board. The BRTA has now to collect tax while issuing fitness to cars, jeeps and microbuses as per the rules introduced in the current fiscal year (2010-11). Apart from this, it has to deposit VAT at the rate of 15 per cent to the government exchequer alongwith the payment of charges for issuance of driving licences and route permits and provision of renewal-related services. "It is necessary to harmonise the online systems between the two government offices; otherwise, harassment of the service-seekers would not be totally over," the officials added. Before the introduction of the BRTA's online service, an applicant had to go to three places including the post office, banks and NBR to make different kinds of payments. This would take almost a month to get all their required services. The NBR has introduced online tax submission system only for corporate houses including banks, insurance companies, telecom and tobacco firms and it has a target to introduce online income return filing system for all tax-payers by 2013.