Justice on taxation needed to cut poverty

Speakers at a programme on Tuesday underlined the need for ensuring justice on taxation and adopting a pro-poor policy to help reduce poverty in the society.
Susashoner Jonno Procharavijan-SUPRO (campaign for good governance), in association with Oxfam, arranged the 8th strategic meeting on "Capacity for Research and Advocacy for Fair Taxation (CRAFT) Project" at a city hotel.
State minister for finance and planning MA Mannan was the chief guest at the inaugural session of the international CRAFT meeting.
Presided over by Snehal V Soneji, country director of Oxfam in Bangladesh, the opening session was attended, among others, by Ms Martine van Hoogstratem, deputy head of mission, Dutch Embassy in Dhaka.
Ahmed Mahmud Swapan, chairperson of SUPRO, gave welcome speech while Dhana Ranjan Tripura, campaign and policy officer of Oxfam, moderated the session.
Representatives from 25 separate countries, including the Netherlands, France, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, Mali, Burundi, Niger, Morocco and Pakistan participated in the international meeting.
The speakers laid stress on creating awareness about taxation and its legal affairs among the people in order to ensure cent percent development of the country. They also called for preventing corruption through accountability.
Mr Mannan called for ensuring good governance in the country, though it is a difficult task. Different rules and regulations, made on taxation for the private sector, are not for impeding them rather than facilitating them, he said.
The government, he added, was strengthening measures to realise the value added tax (VAT).
Citing importance of awareness about taxation among all people, Mr Swapan said that accountability system in the private sector is quite weak; the multinational companies are not paying tax properly.
Most of the private sector institutions are not complying with the environment and human rights; without ensuring such rights, proper development is not possible, he added.
Ms. Hoogstratem said that progress in education and healthcare services would reduce the hassles. She emphasised conducive business environment for equitable growth.
Two panel discussions on "Tax Incentives and Exemptions, Double Taxation Agreements" and "Financing for Development" were also held at the CRAFT meeting.
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