The Bangladesh Journal - Bangladesh's revenue chief promises tough action on tax evaders

BSS, Dhaka, Jan 9, 2008: Chairman of National Board of Revenue (NBR) Muhammad Abdul Mazid said on Wednesday no prospective tax-payers would be exempted from paying income tax as his organisation continues its drive to identify them in an unbiased manner.

"We will identify every tax evader in a decent way without harassment," he said while talking to BSS about NBR activities during the last one year and its future actions at his office in the city.

Abdul Mazid said NBR officials have already started working for finding out the tax evaders, who would be served with legal notices soon, as per the survey carried out earlier. "If I don't chase the tax evaders then my honest and sincere clients, who have paid their income taxes in time, would think that the rules are for the fools," the NBR chief said.

He said the NBR would launch the drive profession by profession, including lawyers, doctors and teachers, to bring all of them under the tax net.

"You have to come under the tax net. If needed, we would reduce the tax rate, but all from any profession should pay their taxes to the government," he asserted.

Assessing the causes for achieving the remarkable success in collecting tax last year, the NBR chairman sighted two main factors - ongoing various reform programmes undertaken by the present caretaker government and freedom of work of their colleagues. Abdul Mazid said due to the various reforms and the drives against corrupt persons and irregularities, awareness has been created among people of paying their taxes.

He also said now the officials and employees of the NBR are performing their duties with more sincerity and honesty as they are working without any pressure or influence from the higher authorities.

The NBR chief said, "Now, there is no quarter or individual who can say you cannot collect tax or duties from me as I am the son of that influential person." The NBR collected income tax of Taka 739.11 crore last year, which was 193 percent more than the previous year. It collected Taka 252.11 crore in 2006- 07. The NBR chief said the number of income tax-payers has increased by 20 percent as 6,45,617 individuals submitted income tax returns in 2007-'08 and 5,35,994 in the previous year.

The collection of Value Added Tax (VAT) and excise duty has already increased by 20 percent in the first five months of the current fiscal than the same period of the previous year, he added.

Abdul Mazid said the overall growth of revenue earnings has so far recorded 24.73 percent and 36.73 percent of the target of the budget for revenue collection has already been fulfilled, which are much encouraging for the NBR.

Responding to a question on the marginal increase in submitting tax returns despite having 2.2 million tax-payer identification number (TIN) holders, he said, "The number of the returns is not so high as tax ceiling has been raised to Taka 1,50,000 from Taka 1,20,000 last year."
The NBR chairman said presently they are bringing various reforms to the tax collection system, which was not possible to implement during the political regimes. "We have opened up 'help desks' in all of our offices, upgraded our website and published a citizen charter, which describes our activities and tax paying procedure in details," he said.

Replying to a question on the sustainability of the reforms, Abdul Mazid said the changes are being brought according to the clauses and regulations of the NBR and there is no point to think that the reforms would not be existed in future.

Besides, he said, "We have a plan to give awards to five people in each district for their sincerity in paying tax for encouraging people in submitting their returns timely."

@ The Bangladesh Journal