The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Tax lawyers have demanded reform in Taxes Appellate Tribunals by including judicial service officials in the two-member benches and by introducing two-tier tribunals.

To bring back judicial character in the Taxes Appellate Tribunals and to ensure justice, inclusion of a judge in every bench is a must, they said at a pre-budget press conference yesterday.

Bangladesh Tax Lawyers' Association (BTLA) and Dhaka Taxes Bar Association (DTBA) jointly organised the press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium to press home their 19-point demand.

"There is no judge in the existing tax tribunals. Revenue officials are giving verdict on tax related cases. Is it a court where there is no judge?" former president of DTBA and senior lawyer Shah Jikrul Ahmed said at the press conference.

He said Taxes Appellate Tribunal should be formed in two tiers introducing upper bench that should act as appeal court. Senior District judges or High Court judges should be appointed in the upper benches. This will help lessening pressure of huge cases on the High Court, he added.

The tax lawyers also suggested re-introduction of whitening black money on condition of its investment in productive purposes.

President of BTLA Golam Sarwar said, "The opportunity to disclose legally earned money should be offered again to bring back huge undisclosed wealth into the formal economy. Tax rate for disclosing the money should also be reduced."

He, however, said that none-should have the scope to avoid punishment availing the opportunity, if he had earned the money by illegal means.

Secretary General of BTLA Kamrul Alam Chowdhury read out the written proposals of tax lawyers when BTBA president Abdullah Shahadat and general secretary Md Abbas Uddin were also present.