Thrust on implementing fair, transparent, inclusive tax collection method
Saturday, 14 March 2015
FE Report
Sushasoner Jonney Procharavijan (SUPRO) placed on Friday a set of recommendations including implementing a fair, transparent and inclusive tax collection method to bring untaxed public in the government's tax net.
SUPRO, a network of over 600 grassroots level non-government and civil society organisations, also suggested that the government should engage more citizens including active participation of the lawmakers in preparing the national budget.
The network's general secretary Mohammed Arifur Rahman placed the recommendations at a seminar styled 'Domestic Resources Mobilisation, Budget Governance and Tax Justice: Bangladesh Perspective'.
Master in Governance Studies (MGS) of Dhaka University (DU), in association with the SUPRO and OXFAM, organised the seminar in the capital.
SUPRO called upon the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and civil society people to come forward to translate public apathy toward taxation into active public engagement, which will also work to curb tax evasion.
The civil society organisation also stressed the need for advocacy and campaign in order to create political pressure to reform the taxation system by active public participation.
The civil society network also recommended ensuring direct tax based budget and increasing budget allocation in essential public services, particularly in education, health, agriculture and social protection.
DU Pro-Vice Chancellor (administration) Prof Shahid Akhtar Hossain, Social Science Faculty Dean Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed, SUPRO director Alison Subrata Baroi and Prof Dr Nurul Amin, among others, addressed the seminar.
DU Professor of Economics Dr Ahmed said lack of transparency among the NBR officials resulted in frustrating response from the public, depriving the government of large-scale revenue earnings.
"Although the NBR has adopted a number of good initiatives, the tax collection agency has failed to achieve the optimum transparency in the sector," the professor said.
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