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Doulot Akter Mala Top ten large taxpayers paid 78.45 per cent or Tk 288.24 billion in value-added tax (VAT) last fiscal while huge potential remained untapped, officials said.     And nearly half of the amount realised by the large taxpayers unit (LTU) in FY2016-17 came from a tobacco multinational alone.     Aggregate collection of VAT from the taxpayers under the LTU, having a total of 157 large companies under its jurisdiction, amounted to Tk 367.42 billion in the last fiscal. The unit achieved 20 per cent growth in the revenue collection although the number of companies decreased over the years, instead of a potential increase. Of the major ten contributors, multinational tobacco company British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) alone paid Tk 136.50 billion in VAT in the FY2016-17. Another local tobacco company, Dhaka Tobacco Industries Ltd (DTI), paid Tk 33.09 billion worth of VAT under the LTU. Petrobangla, a state-owned oil-and-gas company, paid Tk 45.04 billion, while Titas Gas Field Tk 18.80 billion, Habiganj Gas Field Tk 6.81 billion. Among the top ten companies, three telecom operators also paid significant amounts. Of them, Grameenphone paid Tk 22.96 billion, Robi Axiata Limited Tk 9.82 billion and Banglalink Digital Communications Limited Tk 8.53 billion. Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) paid Tk 3.49 billion in VAT under the unit last year. Among the top ten companies, Akij Food and Beverage Ltd paid Tk 3.15 billion. VAT commissioner at the LTU Matiur Rahman said there is huge potential of increasing VAT collection from the existing registered taxpayers. "Only 20 companies pay 84.37 per cent or Tk 367. 42 billion in tax under the unit while the rest is paid by the 120 others," he said. Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited, Kailashtila Gas Field, Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited, Incepta Pharmaceuticals Limited, Sonali Bank, Unilever Bangladesh Ltd (ctg), Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Co. Ltd, Rashidpur Gas Ltd, Transcom Beverage Ltd and Dhaka WASA are the next ten companies that paid VAT under the unit. The unit collected a surplus amount of revenue worth Tk 63.25 billion last year compared to that of the previous year. Intelligence activity of LTU officials detected some Tk 16.97 billion worth of unpaid revenue in 35 cases. Of the amount, LTU realised Tk 910 million in the last FY. The unit also resolved 12 cases realising Tk 180 million through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). It achieved the highest growth last year in revenue collection from its existing clientele.   Revenue-collection growth was 5.0 per cent, 9.89 per cent, 7.46 per cent, 19.51 per cent in FY 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 respectively. The LTU commissioner said the aggregate revenue collection had been reconciled up to April 17 with the Comptroller General of Accounts (CGA) office. A large gap between revenue-collection data of the NBR and the LTU confused economists and policymakers every year on actual collection of internal revenue by the board. Although the NBR (National Board of Revenue) took steps to reconcile the data, it has never been resolved on aggregate collection of tax revenue. "The unit has reconciled its aggregate VAT collection with the CGA office. There is no difference in revenue-collection figure of the unit with the IBAS," he added. Until April 17, the unit had collected Tk 297.45 billion while CGA data showed Tk 3.94 billion less in revenue. Some Tk 4.89 billion was deposited in the treasury chalan by Petrobangla in May last that was tax for the month of April. The CGA reconciled the revenue data sans that amount. LTU's collection would have been Tk 950 million higher if it had been reconciled that month. The government had originally handed the revenue board a target of collecting Tk 2.03 trillion as tax revenue in the last budget. The figure was revised down to Tk 1.85 trillion.   doulot_akter@yahoo.com....

Published at: 2017-07-23 00:00:05

Bangladesh Police have withdrawn six of its personnel, who were on duty in court during the 'harassment' of UNO Tariq Salmon in Barisal. The police personnel are Sub-Inspector Nripen Das, Assistant Town Sub-Inspectors Shachin and Mahbub, and Constables Jahangir, Hanif, and Sukhen. Barisal Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Nasiruddin said on Saturday night that the six were withdrawn to the police lines from the court for 'administrative reasons,' reports bdnews24.com. In a statement, Bangladesh Administrative Service Association or BASA joined condemnation of a case against Upazila executive officer or UNO, Tariq, for publishing a photo of Bangabandhu, what the plaintiff said, was distorted. UNO Tariq Salmon was in jail for two hours last Wednesday following a court order on the case. Netizens flooded the social media with angry posts that included photos of Tariq being taken to the jail from the court with handcuffs on.   BASA called upon the relevant authorities for action over 'the unprecedented and defamatory order, and illegal police action'. They also demanded action against the 'so-called local politicians' who were behind the case. The Awami League suspended its Barisal unit leader Obaidullah Saju on Friday for 'over-enthusiastically' filing the case against Tariq. Bangladesh Police Service Association or BPSA, however, does not see any fault of its members in action against Tariq. In a statement on Saturday, the association claimed that police neither arrested the UNO nor handcuffed him. "Several quarters raised questions like how and why police recorded the case and why arrested him. In fact, no case was filed at the police station, and police did not arrest Gazi Tariq Salmon," BPSA General Secretary Monirul Islam said in the statement. The statement noted that it was the court which summoned the UNO and rejected his bail petition. "There was no scope for the police to play any role at any stage." It added that media reports, which said Rule No. 330 of the Police Regulations was violated through handcuffing the UNO, were also 'incorrect'. The BASA statement claimed that the policemen at the court applied 'unnecessary force and dragged him illegally to the court jail'. The BPSA, however, said the allegation of dragging the UNO was 'not based on facts'.....

Published at: 2017-07-23 00:00:05

Police arrested Chandpur depot superintendent of Jamuna Oil Company Khademul and four of its employees on Saturday on charge of stealing seven lakh litres of diesel worth about Tk 40 million (Tk 4 crore). The other arrestees are M Mizanur Rahman, 48, and Abu Bakar Siddque, 50, operators of Chandpur depot of Jamuna Oil Company, metrerman M Mojibul Haque, 38, and labourer Moslem Shah, 38. They were held after a departmental probe confirmed the stealing, company officials said. Khairul Kabir, in-charge of the depot, filed a case with Chandpur Model Thana on Saturday, reports UNB. According to the case statement, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) formed two probe bodies after the pilferage case came in the limelight. A three-member probe team, led by additional secretary and BPC director (marketing) Mir Ali Reza, visited the depot Saturday and conducted the probe, which revealed that Khademul, in collaboration with four others, stole diesel worth about Tk 40 million. Meanwhile, Chandpur depot superintendent Khademul has been suspended in this connection.....

Published at: 2017-07-23 00:00:05

Customs at Sylhet’s Osmani International Airport confiscated 3.5kg of gold that was smuggled into the country aboard a flight from Abu Dhabi, an official has said. The gold was found in the luggage hold of Biman Bangladesh Flight BG-0128 on Sunday morning, said Prabhat Kumar Singha, assistant director for the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate’s Sylhet unit. The flight arrived at Osmani International from the capital of the United Arab Emirates around 6:30am and was scheduled to depart for Dhaka, reports bdnews24.com. Acting on a tip-off, customs searched the airplane and found 30 gold bars wrapped in tape. The market value of the gold is nearly Tk 20 million, Singha said. No arrests have been made over the incident.....

Published at: 2017-07-23 00:00:05

Some places in Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong, and Sylhet divisions are likely to experience heavy to very heavy rains during the next 24 hours due to active monsoon. Landslides may also occur at places over the hilly regions of Chittagong and Sylhet divisions triggered by the rains, said a Met office special bulletin on Sunday morning; according to UNB.....

Published at: 2017-07-23 00:00:05