\\\'Raise direct tax, expand tax net\\\'

FE Report | Published: June 12, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

Speakers at a post budget discussion Wednesday urged the government to increase direct tax and expand the tax net as much as possible so that every eligible person pays taxes.
"Some 20 million taxable persons still evade tax, government must bring them under tax net," said Professor Ali Ashraf, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Commerce who spoke as the guest of honour at the discussion.
Supro (Sushasoner Jonno Procharavizan), a national non-government organization (NGO), made the observation at a post-budget discussion held in the city Wednesday.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith placed a Tk 2,505.06 billion national budget for 2014-15 on June 5 in the parliament eying a 7.3 per cent GDP growth.
Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman spoke as the chief guest. It was chaired by SUPRO executive committee member Abdul Kader.
Mr Mostafizur Rahman said the budget would not be successful if people from the grassroots level do not attend the budget-related dialogues.
He said the country needs political consensus and stability for successful implementatioin of the budget.
He also called for expansion of tax net and said civil society members need to be proactive, not reactive only.
Professor Ali Ashraf said if people are brought under tax net as much as possible they would act responsibly.
"Why are you not going to the people's doorsteps rather than discussing here at the air conditioned room?" he said pointing at the organisers.
Replying to criticisms over bureaucratic budget, he said each and every part of the state machinery is responsible to the people of Bangladesh, as per the constitution.
"Strong bureaucracy means strong democracy," he said.
He also blamed people for not voting the right representatives to hold responsible for the people-friendly budget.
Relating to education budget, he said education is now a high-priced product. Commercialisation of education should be stopped, but not its privatisation.
He also said the existing education infrastructure is not properly utilized for the lack of motivation and awarness.
Former State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Abdul Mannan urged SUPRO to monitor and evaluate budget implementation round the year.
He said a budget can only be called national budget if it reflects national interests and aspirations.
"Budget is now being formulated through a top-down process, but it should be prepared through a bottom-to-top process so that people's needs and thoughts are reflected in it," he said.
Unnayan Onneshon Chairman Rashed AL Mehedi Titumir said this budget is being presented to please handful of people and deprive a large number of people.
Urging for a change in the budget formulation process, he said if people are not attached with the process it cannot be called people's budget.
He said government did not levy tax productive sector as much as they clamp tax on the inherited wealth.
Supro in its budget presentation said government favoured the rich and business people in the proposed budget and most of the allocations for the common people are ornamental.
It said the government budget reduced poverty alleviation programmes from 4.9 per cent to 3 per cent.
It said allocations in the important sectors like health, education and agriculture are inadequate in the proposed budget although the government pledged to increase allotment in these sectors.
The largest chunk of the budget has been allocated for public administration, depriving education, health, poverty alleviation programmes.
SUPRO also expressed dissatisfaction over not initiating district budget even this time though the government has been promising such budget since 2009.
It urged the government to initiate participatory, decentralised and pro-poor district budget instead of a centralised bureaucratic one from the fiscal year (FY) 2015-16 for the development of rural areas.