PM submits income tax return as tax fair kicks off
- Nayadiganta English Desk
- 14 November 2019, 21:15
The 10th weeklong national income tax fair 2019 began on Thursday across the country, aiming to provide one-stop tax-related services to the taxpayers and a hassle-free environment to submit their tax returns, UNB reports.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal inaugurated the fair in the afternoon at Officers' Club in the capital where ex-finance secretary Siddiqur Rahman Chowdhury submitted tax return on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The tax fair will continue until November 20 while the fair at district level will be held for 3-4 days.
The fair will remain open from 9 am to 5 pm for taxpayers and visitors. Like previous years, the highest taxpayers will be awarded this time, too.
Addressing the event, minister Kamal said, “We’ve to pay tax to take the country forward. The government realises tax to take forward the unprivileged section of the society. We’ve to incorporate the marginalised people into the mainstream of the economy.”
“Through paying tax, we can perform our religious duty because the unprivileged people have right to our property and wealth. There’s a religious directive to pay their due share,“ he said.
Besides, the minister said, the government needs huge money to continue development activities, including setting up of educational institutions, hospital and taking electricity to each family.
"I’ve been paying tax since 1970. I paid then 560 rupees. I paid a total of Tk 51 .69 crore in previous years. Today, I paid Tk 7.6 crore,” he said
NBR chairman Mosarraf Hossain Bhuiyan said it is expected that everyone will pay tax spontaneously.
"Today, many people and companies paid tax here. Of them, the Finance Minister and his family members paid a total of around Tk7.6 crore, former communications minister Sayed Abul Hossain Tk 25 crore, Islami Bank Tk 100 crore, Grameen Phone Tk 150 crore ," he added.
