The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Only 271 listed companies out of 73,000 have been engaged in trading at share market, Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) official yesterday informed the National Board for Revenue (NBR) Chairman Abdul Mazid while the latter visited the DSE office yesterday.

"A total of 271 companies have been engaged in trading at share market. The contribution of the companies was 28 percent from national revenue collection in 2007-08," a DSE official said adding, "If we are able to bring the companies in the share market, it will be possible to increase the government revenue generation three to four time higher."

He said that the DSE listed companies paid Tk 16.32 crore to the NBR. It would be increased over Tk 20 crore, he hoped.

DSE officials called upon the NBR Chairman to reduce income tax from the DSE listed companies.

They admitted that the broker houses expenditure reduced through introduction of automated trading system.

"But the generation of income is not increasing at the same time as the competition between the companies," they said.

Following the demand to reduce the income tax from the DSE listed companies, NBR Chairman Abdul Mazid said the NBR will revise the matter.

He advised the DSE officials to place problems and demands to NBR through formation of a committee.

Later, the NBR Chairman visited two brokerage houses. DSE Chief Executive Officer Salauddin Ahmed, Senior Vice President Saiful Islam and Ahmed Latif Lali, International Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman, Vice President Sharif Ataur Rahman, Directors Md Abdullah Bokhari, Md Rakibur Rahman, Shahed Abdul Malek, Md Hanif Bhuyan, Lailur Nahar Akram and Masudul Hoq, accompanied the NBR Chairman.