Right bodies accuse govt of favoring MNCs

Civil society organisations promoting human rights accused the government of favoring multinational companies (MNCs) with tax rules. They also demanded stopping further extension of value added tax (VAT) net as planned for the upcoming budget as it is ‘regressive to poor’.
They came up with the demands at a rally in front of the National Press Club on Saturday. The participating organisations are Arpon, Bangladesh Bhumihin Samity, Bangladesh Krishak Federation, Coastal Development Partnership, Kishani Sava, Nature Campaign Bangladesh, NCCB, Online Knowledge Society, Prantajon, SDO, Sangsaptak, Udayan Bangladesh, Unnayan Dhara Trust, and United People’s Trust.
The speakers said 70 percent of the national revenue is collected as indirect tax like VAT, and this is regressively charged from the poor while the rest 30 percent comes from the rich and companies as direct tax, according to UNB.