Bangladesh: Nine organisations to get national VAT award

Dhaka, July 8 (New Age): The National Board of Revenue is going to honour the highest value-added tax paying business organisations on Thursday for their outstanding contribution to the government exchequer by paying VAT in the financial year 2012-13, officials said. Nine VAT payers at the national level and 113 VAT payers at district levels will be awarded for the payment of VAT in the highest amount in the year under three categories—production, services and business. The revenue board introduced the award giving system three years ago to recognise the highest VAT payers and to encourage taxpayers for paying VAT, they said. Rashidpur Condensate Fractionation Plant (Habiganj), RFL Plastics Limited (Narsingdi) and Huawei Technologies BD Ltd (Dhaka) secured the top positions at national level under production, services and business categories respectively. Other six business organisations selected as the highest VAT payers at the national level are Fenchuganj Gas Field Project Ltd (Moulvibazar), Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Ltd (Dhaka), TUV SUD Bangladesh Pvt Ltd (Dhaka), National Television Ltd (Dhaka), MM Ispahani (sales and marketing division-Chittagong) and BRAC Aarong (Dhaka). Commerce minister Tofail Ahmed is expected to hand over crests and certificates to the selected VAT payers at national level at a function in Dhaka to be organised to observe National VAT Day-2014 for the fourth consecutive year. District level VAT payers will be awarded at the commissioners’ office of the NBR across the country. The NBR will also observe the National VAT week from July 10 to 16 across the country to create awareness among businesses to pay VAT. The NBR will arrange rallies and VAT awareness programmes at district levels as a part of observing the day and VAT week. Officials said that many leading and well-known business houses of the country had been left out of the list of the highest VAT payers due to disputes over VAT with the revenue board despite paying VAT at the highest amount. According to the award policy, the business houses having any disputes related to VAT are not considered for the award. According to the policy, the awardees will enjoy a number of privileges for one year from the issue date of the award, including priority while reserving seats in public transports and access to VIP lounges at the airports. Their spouses and children will also get priority while reserving cabins in the public hospitals and the awardees will get invitations to national programmes, including any citizens’ reception organised by the municipalities and city corporations.