Cab owners want 5pc duty on import: BAIRA seeks tax-free FC Pass Fund

Leaders of Cab Association of Bangladesh (CAB) urged the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to reduce tax from 20 percent to 5 percent for importing taxi cab.

They also requested the government to provide permission to import taxi cab with 1480cc capacity.

The CAB association leaders placed their proposals at a pre-budget meeting with the revenue board at the NBR office in the city Sunday last.

Besides, leaders of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), Bangladesh Security Services Companies Owners Association, Bangladesh Security Services Companies Owners Association and Bangladesh Supermarket Owners' Association attended the meeting.

With participation the discussion, Khandaker Mahmudur Azad, President of Cab said in various reasons NBR and BRTA had imposed restrictions in imports of the king of the road ‘taxi cab’ in 2009.

He said taxi cab import duty was 7.50 percent in 2009 which was increased to 20 percent in 2009-10 fiscal. Currently some 11,000 taxi cab has been plying in the streets.

He demanded the government for reducing duty from 20 percent to 5 percent for importing taxi cab and side by side to initiate a reasonable process for importing taxi cab.

NBR member Farid Uddin Ahmed said the government will chalk out a programme for resolving the complexities for importing taxi cab. BRTA has been instructed to take measure in this regard.

Shahjalal Majumder, President of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) at the meeting said BAIRA has been able to send 10 million people to different countries across the world.

He proposed the government for constituting tax-free FC Pass Fund separately for the BAIRA.

Zakir Hossain, General Secretary of Bangladesh Supermarket Owners' Association said like other countries, Bangladesh started super market business in 2000 with a huge prospect. Now the sector is facing acute downturn due to imposition of 4 percent tax.

He demanded withdrawal of tax, initiating VAT package as per size of the shop and withdrawal of 105 percent duty for importing of machineries.

Farid Uddin gave an assurance for considering the proposal.

Shah Alam Sarkar, Secretary General of Bangladesh Security Services Companies Owners Association demanded withdrawal of income tax, VAT and corporate tax from the private securities companies till 2021.

NBR member Farid Uddin presided over the meeting while Al-Amin Pramanik, First Secretary, Budget Coordinator (Tax), Iqbal Hossain, First Secretary, Tax and Policy of NBR were present at the meeting.