Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Monday said the final report of the Grameen Bank Commission on the future structure and course of the bank is unlikely to be submitted before the Eid-ul-Fitr. “The final report of the Grameen Bank Commission is unlikely before this Eid,” Muhith told reporters after chairman of Grameen Bank Mozammel Haque met him at his secretariat office in the afternoon.
Asked about the meeting’s outcomes, Muhith said the GB chairman discussed with him the issue of tax exemption of the microcredit bank.
Turning to the issue of Grameenphone’s involvement with the Grameen Bank, the Finance Minister said Prof Muhammad Yunus had said Grameen Bank has nothing to do with Grameenphone. “But, we say there’s some sort of relationships between Grameen Bank and Grameenphone.”
The Grameen Bank Commission, set up in May last, got extension thrice. It submitted an interim report to the Ministry in February last.
The four-member Commission, headed by former secretary Mamunur Rashid, is reviewing the purposes, legal status and operations of Grameen Bank and its 54 subsidiaries.
The other members of the commission are: Barrister Ajmalul Hossain, QC, and Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, FCA, and Director General of Planning and Development Academy MA Kamal who is acting as member secretary.
Talking to the reporters, Grameen Bank chairman Mozammel Haque said that the bank is now running well. Asked whether the government would take any new initiative to restructure the bank, he replied, “I don’t think there might be new initiatives.”
He told another questioner that approximately Tk 10,000 crore as share of profit from Grameenphone over the years are to go to Grameen Bank for the welfare of its members, but the bank is yet to receive any amount from the mobile operator.
The Grameen Bank chairman said the Grameenphone might have given the amount to Grameen Telecom, but it is not under the authority of the bank.
Mozammel Haque said he had discussed with the Finance Minister the continuing tax exemption facility of the bank while there was no discussion regarding reforms of the bank.
He said Grameen Bank is a statutory public authority where the government appoints its chairman and two directors. – UNB
