Finance Minister AMA Muhith inaugurated the weeklong Income Tax Fair at Officers' Club in the city yesterday. State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan, NBR chairman Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan along with others were present at the event. - Jah
Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Tuesday wondered why only one crore people pay taxes as the number could easily be four crore."About one crore people are paying taxes by various means… we've many types of taxes this is of course a matter of pride the way we're making progress. We aren't happy to have this one crore taxpayers!" he said.
The Finance Minister was speaking at the inaugural programme of weeklong Income Tax Fair here at Officers' Club, Dhaka and other divisional cities across the country aiming to provide better services to the taxpayers and include more taxpayers in the tax net. Muhith said the government wants three crore people to have in the tax net in addition to the one crore, reports UNB.
"If four crore people pay taxes then it would be helpful for the government to provide various types of services to the people of the country. The government is already giving various types of services…this can be expanded," he said.The Finance Minister recalled that once people had showed reluctance about paying taxes as they used to think that they would be in trouble for life if they pay taxes. "Such attitude doesn't exist today, I think," he said.
Muhith mentioned that a large number of youths pay taxes willingly these days. "This is a very significant development for the whole nation,' he said.In the past, he said, the number of taxpayers was merely 15 lakh, not more than 30 lakhs.
Praising various development programs of the government, Muhith said a 'single economy' has been created in the country because of those programs, giving a big boost to the economy. "It helped reduce the economic difference between the rich and the poor. Yes, there's a difference in the country, it's reducing significantly. Currently, the poverty rate in the country is 22 percent," he said.
The Finance Minister said some three crore people are now living under the poverty line and these three crore people have to be pulled out.Chaired by NBR chairman Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, the inaugural programme was also addressed, by State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan.
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