The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Black money holders are slow to respond to the Government's two-types of clemency offers: by confessing corruption before the Truth and Accountability Commission (TAC) or by whitening black money by paying a certain amount of tax to the public exchequer.

So far, only four people have come up before the TAC for rectifying themselves suo moto, while 92 wealthy men have whitened their black money at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) availing the amnesty. The government received only Tk 23.90 lakh taxes after legalising Tk 3.38 crore, sources at the NBR said.

Referred by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), 32 other people are also preparing to appear before the TAC, as their cases are under probe by the anti graft body.

September 1 is the deadline for voluntary disclosure of ill-gotten wealth before TAC, while the four-month's opportunity to disclose untaxed wealth before NBR will end on October 31.

TAC chairman Justice Habibur Rahman Khan yesterday admitted that the response so far was not up to expectations and said that he would consider extending the deadline.

However, chairmen of TAC and NBR are optimistic about more people coming to them before the respective deadlines.

None will get the chance of skip as the NBR will operate fresh drive against tax dodgers at the end of the clemency deadline, NBR chairmen Abdul Mazid told The New Nation on Tuesday.

"None will be spared; stern action will be taken under existing tax laws against tax dodgers," he said.

Last fiscal year, 44,449 people legalised or declared Tk 5,213 crore in a similar programme, with the government receiving a total Tk 802 crore tax.

About the lukewarm response so far, the TAC chairman Habibur Rahman said that as the concept was quite new, it would take some time for people to know about it. He called upon the corrupt people to come forward for rectifying themselves.

He said the TAC would not do anything that creates panic among people, including politicians and businessmen. "It's not a place of panic. It's place of peace. No one will be arrested at the gate of the Commission."

The TAC had been created to curb corruption and reduce the massive load of cases through quick adjudication within 30 days of filing applications.

The Commission allows accused to escape trial and jail term if they plead guilty and surrender their ill-gotten wealth.

The Commission will operate for five months under the Voluntary Disclosure of Information Ordinance 2008, promulgated on June 5 and as amended on July 20.