The National Board of Revenue has taken the initiative to impose a 25 per cent duty on car imports by lawmakers, partially withdrawing the duty-free facility for them to import cars for personal use.
Finance minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali is likely to make the proposal in his budget for the 2024鈥�25 financial year on June 6 in parliament.聽
The will be imposed subject to the approval of the proposal by lawmakers, several NBR officials confirmed.
NBR officials said that the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Tuesday, at a meeting with them, gave her consent in this regard along with other fiscal measures.
Parliament members have been availing of duty-free car import facilities for 36 years, resulting in huge revenue losses for the government.
At present, ordinary citizens have to pay between 45 per cent and 500 per cent for importing cars, depending on the cubic centimetres of their engines.
The privileges of parliament members are being partially withdrawn under the prescription of the International Monetary Fund, NBR officials said.
NBR officials said that only a 25 per cent import duty may be imposed this time, while supplementary duty and other taxes will remain waived.
Supplementary duty is charged on the sum of the car price and import duty for common buyers.
NBR officials said that even if a 25 per cent import duty was imposed for car imports by lawmakers, it would be much cheaper for them as they would not be required to pay any supplementary duty.
The duty-free car facility for lawmakers was initiated by the HM Ershad government in 1988.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Awami League, which came to power, did not withdraw the facility, enabling lawmakers from all political parties and reserved seats for women lawmakers to enjoy the privilege.
A lawmaker is allowed to avail of the facility once during his or her five-year tenure. The lawmakers are not allowed to resell the cars imported using this facility.
Asked about the matter, Jatiya Sangsad whip Iqbalur Rahim told 抖阴精品 that the issue would be discussed in the budget session and lawmakers would give their opinion.
鈥楬ope the parliament will take a decision that is better for the country,鈥� he said.聽
Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman told 抖阴精品 that if NBR proposes this, discrimination would be reduced to some extent.
鈥楤ut not completely reduced. Duty-free car facilities for lawmakers are unethical and unconstitutional,鈥� he said.
鈥楢t this time of economic crisis, expenditure reduction is being talked about, and revenue collection is also being talked about. So, the facility of duty-free import of cars should be completely withdrawn,鈥� he said.
According to NBR officials, the country lost Tk 5,147 crore in revenue in the past 15 years due to a duty waiver for lawmakers for car imports.
Lawmakers imported 572 vehicles under the duty-free benefit between January 2009 and April 15 this year, NBR鈥檚 import data said.
