Fight graft instead of raising tax burdens: Civil society to govt
Yearly income tax evasion costs the country nearly $25 billion
The government should focus more on combating corruption and capital flight than imposing increasing tax, civil society organisations said in Dhaka today.
In a press conference, representatives from the organisations demanded a "Public Expenditure Review Commission" to stop unbearable corruption. They also said yearly income tax evasion costs the country nearly $25 billion, a sum that could quadruple the per capita health allocation.
The press conference was jointly arranged by EquityBD and several other organisations — Bangladesh Krishok Federation, CSRL, NDF, Sundarban Surokkha Andolon, Trinomul Unnayan Sangstha, and Water Keepers Bangladesh.
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Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, chief moderator of EquityBD, moderated the press conference where Md Ahsanul Karim Babor, director of COAST Foundation, presented the Keynote.
Iqbal Faruk of Water Keepers Bangladesh, ASM Badrul Alam of Bangladesh Krishok Foundation, Mir Mohammad Ali, associate professor of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Ibnul Syed Rana of NDF, and Mizanur Rahman of Economic Reporters' Forum spoke in the press conference.
While moderating the session, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of EquityBD said, "If the government could stop income tax evasion, we would be able to double the social safety net programme for the poor or increase the per capita health allocation by four times."
He urged the reinstallation of the law on annual wealth statements by public servants and capital punishment for their corruption.
