The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Prime Minister and leader of the House Sheikh Hasina yesterday requested the finance minister to reduce the proposed rates of taxes on certain items in the budget which are used by the poor and middle income people.

At the same time, she proposed increased taxes on luxury items which are used by wealthy people. Hasina, however, argued in favour of continuation of the provision for whitening black money as a ploy to tap investment of undisclosed income of a section of people.

Sheikh Hasina, in her one and a half-hour long speech on the proposed budget, said the budget was visionary to fulfil people's needs enshrined in the election manifesto of Awami League.

She proposed that the proposed 15 percent value added tax (vat) on aluminium and enamel crockery items might be withdrawn while passing the budget. Proposed 25 per cent vat on exporters of human resources should be waived in view of the global recession biting the economy.

Vat on 'bidi' producers may also be reviewed with enhancement of taxes on cigarettes which are smoked by the wealthy class.

She proposed to review the proposal of imposing five per cent import duty on newsprints to help flourish newspaper industry and waiving of vat from furniture industry.

"You can impose as much tax as you want on the luxury cars which are used by the affluent people. But cars up to 1500 cc, used by middle income people, may be reconsidered," the Prime Minister said pointing at finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith.

She also suggested reduction of supplementary duties on import of 1800cc-2000 cc microbuses and waiver of duties on import of motorcycles which is a necessity of rural people.

Sheikh Hasina further called upon the finance minister to impose higher taxes on fashionable mobile sets according to his will. "But duties on cheap mobile sets should be lessened," she added.

Blasting the critics of the provision of whitening black money she said, "Those who washed their illegal income white are now opposing it as they have already took the opportunity."

She said, the provision for whitening of black money was introduced during the rule of Ziaur Rahman and a culture of loan defaulting also was initiated at that time.

The Prime Minister regretted that she failed to understand as to why the opposition boycotted the budget session without an issue of public importance.

"Firstly they boycotted the parliament on her (Khaleda Zia) Cantonment house and then they did not join the Jatiya Sangsad on seat arrangement on the front row, which are not issues of public importance," she said adding: we have been more happy if the opposition had joined the session and came up with deliberations criticism and suggestions on the proposed budget to discharge their responsibilities to the constituents, who sent them to the parliament.

Hasina urged Begum Zia to leave the Cantonment House which is a property of the armed forces and stay in other house allotted to her by former President HM Ershad at Gulshan in the city.

Elaborating the salient features of the proposed budget, the Prime Minister said the this year' budget reflected long and arduous work in preparing the poll manifesto of Awami League in which people's welfare and happiness an enhancing their lifestyle in future giving emphasis on social-political and economic emancipation of the people.

Sheikh Hasina said, "We want to build a digital Bangladesh equipped with latest technology as we have showed the people to dream of a bright future, particularly of the young generation, and we are committed to fulfil their dream comes true so that we could celebrate the golden jubilee of our independence in 2021 as a developed nation holding our heads high in the community of nations."

The Prime Minister said the most significant feature of the proposed budget was that even the main opposition could not term it as unfriendly to the poor and the other feature was that for the first time in the country's history prices did not show upward trend after placing of the budget.

She said some 15.2 percent of the total budgetary allocation was suggested for building the food safety net with more issuance of VGF and VGD cards and reintroduction of 'one house one farm' to revamp the rural agro-based economy with enhancement of the lifestyle of rural poor.

Hasina said, "If we could implement the initiatives suggested in the national budget, there would no more be hunger and poverty in the country". She said the government has been receiving foreign assistance and that 943 million US dollars has already been received while more amount of money in terms of assistance from abroad remain in pipeline.

She said adding that the government is committed to supply agri-inputs to farmers at cheaper prices including fertiliser and seeds while the subsidy in the sector would be continued and the BADC would be strengthened entrusting the corporation with seeds and fertiliser. Taka 10000 crore has been earmarked as disbursement of agriculture loans among the farmers with a view to boosting food production, she added.