Pension for pvt sector, pollution tax for defiant cos under study: Muhith

Finance Minister AMA Muhith said Sunday the government was planning to introduce pension for private sector employees.
"The Prime Minister has directed us to do something in this connection. If needed, we may change the law for introducing pension in the private sector," Mr Muhith said after a pre-budget meeting with the representatives of non-government organisations (NGOs).
He said the ministry was working on introducing a pollution tax for those companies, which are the worst polluters. The government needs to conduct a study first on it before introduction of such a tax, he added.
About the shifting of leather factories from the city's Hazaribagh to Savar, the finance minister said shifting of the factories was going on in full swing and was expected to be completed by June 2015.
Replying to a demand placed by the environmentalists, Mr Muhith said the government could not introduce a combined transportation system, although it has initiated many steps during its last four years.
He said the government would enhance budget allocations significantly for the railway in the coming budget.
On recovering the river routes' navigability, the finance minister said, "We may not be able to recover all the original river routes, but we can identify some new ones to enhance river connectivity,"
Bangladesh Bank (BB) governor Atiur Rahman, Bank and Financial Institution Division Secretary M Aslam Alam and revenue officials attended the meeting.
M. Hafizuddin Khan, former adviser to the  caretaker government, Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury, former project coordinator of Gonosasthya Kendra, Ayesha Khanum, president of Bangladesh Mohila Parishad, Rasheda K. Choudhury, executive director of Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), Farah Kabir, country director, ActionAid, Bangladesh; Asif Saleh, Brac senior director,  Abu Naser, chairman of Paribesh Andolon, MA Matin, general secretary, Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa), Ahmed Al Kabir, chairman Semantik, spoke on the occasion.
Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury said the government should exert more control over setting medicine prices, as other than the 117 essential drugs, prices of most of the medicines remain uncontrolled.
The government should assert control over 350 essential drugs, which are listed with the World Health Organisation (WHO) as life saving ones.
Dr Chowdhury also demanded exemption of tax imposed on the expenditure of corporate social responsibility (CSR).
The Brac senior director demanded introduction of education loan for quality education.
"Many of our meritorious students cannot get admitted to quality educational institutions and continue their studies. If education loans are introduced, they can continue their education with the help of this fund," Asif Saleh said.
He added Brac may provide necessary support in this connection.
Stephen K. Halder, group director of World Vision, said most of the community clinics were not providing adequate service across the country. "Due to lack of necessary monitoring by social management committees, many of the community clinics are not functioning properly," he said.
Nazrul Islam, executive director, Urban Research Centre (URC) said the urban development housing policy has not yet been passed.
He said allocation for research activities was very low, due to which no quality research had been carried out.
Bapa general secretary Abdul Matin demanded introduction of green tax to combat growing environment pollution.
Mr Matin demanded a stop to giving the facility to black money holders to invest in flats and lands.
He also requested the government to shift the Rampal coal power plant from Bagherhat to another area.  
He called for more mobile courts to operate against breaching of environment rules.