Govt urged not to impose 400pc tax on foreign pay channels

Cable TV network owners urged the government Tuesday not to impose 400 per cent supplementary tax on foreign pay channels in the upcoming budget to be placed in parliament on June 5.
They also demanded that the government take steps to reduce influence of people with political affiliation in the dish business, according to a news agency.
“Through newspaper reports we came to know that government is going to impose a 400-per cent supplementary tax on foreign pay channels in the next budget which is now 25 per cent. We’re fervently requesting the government to keep the supplementary tax within our capacity,” Cable TV Unnayan Sammilita Parishad convener Mir Hossain Akter said.
He was addressing a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club in the city.
Mir Hossain Akter said, “If the government raises the tax in such a high rate, cable TV network users will have to pay over 1000 taka as monthly line rent. So we hope our finance minister will give a second thought before raising tax on foreign pay channels.”