Make tax payment system more people friendly: Tajul

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam on Sunday said people will feel encouraged to pay taxes properly if they are provided with smooth services, reports BSS.
"People will feel encouraged to pay taxes accordingly if they get proper service from local government institutions which will help the country to achieve its cherished goals," a press release quoted Tajul as saying.
He made the remarks while addressing as the chief guest a view-exchange meeting with municipality mayors at the auditorium of Public Health Engineering Department, here.
The minister also urged the mayors to increase the quality of services provided by their respective organisations.
He said, "The local government institutions in the developed countries are self-sufficient, though they receive a little amount of subsidy from the central government and run their organisations with their own revenue…But the union councils, municipalities, upazila parishads and zila parishads of Bangladesh yet to reach that stage".
The departments concerned should make people aware of the benefits of paying taxes and VAT, he said.
At the meeting, the mayors apprised the minister of their various problems and placed demands to solve those problems.
The minister assured the mayors that he would take measures to solve their problems.
Presided over by LGRD Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed, the programme was attended by Additional Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain, chairman of Municipal Association of Bangladesh Dewan Kamal Ahmed and its general secretary Md Rafiqul Islam.