Lawmakers slam govt move to hike holding tax

Senior lawmakers including a minister today in parliament expressed their anger over the government’s move to increase holding tax in Dhaka and Chittagong cities.

MPs both from treasury and opposition bench asked the government to reconsider the move otherwise they warned that it will put an adverse impact in the next general election as people are getting anger due to the government’s decision.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Jatiya Party MPs -- Sayed Abu Hossain Babla and Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu -- spoke on the issue taking floor on point of order.

“It’s normal practice that holding tax will increase after certain period of time. But increasing of holding tax by nine times at one go cannot be acceptable. People will not accept it. It is needed to reconsider the move,” said Tofail Ahmed.

He said if the holding tax is increased for example from Tk 8,000 to 72,000 suddenly at the last hours of the government’s tenure, it will invite huge reaction among the people.

The commerce minister said adverse impacts have already created among the people of Dhaka city with the move taken by the city corporation authorities.

Saying that he has also a small house at city’s Banani area, Tofail said, “On behalf of all concerned, I want to tell that the government’s move to increase holding tax should reconsider.”

He also said: “We the lawmakers are involved in politics. We are the representatives of people. We always come in contact with people. We will have to face people in the upcoming general election.”

In his speech, Ziauddin Ahmed, a lawmaker from Chittagong, said holding tax is being increased nine times also in the Chittagong city. People are criticising the move.

Noting that power and gas tariffs have already been increased, he said, “If the holding tax is increased now ahead of the election, how we can seek votes from the people? We (MPs) are accountable to them (people).”

JP MP Kazi Feroz Rashid on Tuesday in parliament also lambasted the government for increasing of holding tax in the Dhaka city.