People may have to spend more for taking meditation services from the next month as the finance minister today recommended withdrawing the VAT exemption benefit the services have been enjoying since 2016-17.

AHM Mustafa Kamal in his budget speech for in 2022-23 fiscal year proposed cancelling the exemption of 7.5 per cent value-added tax on meditation services.

Considering the necessity of mental health, former finance minister AMA Muhith exempted the VAT on meditation services in 2016-17 and Kamal continued it until the current fiscal year.