‘Catch’ tax-dodging foreign workers: ACC chief

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Iqbal Mahmood on Sunday asked the officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to ‘catch’ the identified tax-dodging foreign nationals working in Bangladesh.

He came up with the call at a training progrmame of the ACC and NBR officials at BCS Tax Academy auditorium in the capital.

Iqbal Mahmood also asked the NBR officials to strengthen connection with Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and Immigration and Passports Department concerned so that nobody can evade taxes and misappropriate public money.

“Don’t harass any honest businessman during tax collection. We want to widen the tax net, not to raise the tax rate. You (ACC and NBR officials) will work with transparency to achieve the vision of Bangladesh,” he added.

BCS Tax Academy Director General Md Lutful Azim delivered the welcome speech at the event.

Earlier on February 5, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said foreign nationals working in Bangladesh are taking away Tk 26,400 crore annually by evading Tk 12,000 crore in taxes.

According to a TIB survey conducted from April 2018 till December 2019, it is found that some 250,000 foreigners (legal and illegal) are working in Bangladesh.

source: UNB