The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has waived the excise duty on inbound and outbound airfare for hajj pilgrims, as well as the value-added tax (VAT) on three types of service charges, aiming to lower their overall expenses of hajj, reports The Business Standard.
Currently, the excise duty for a single trip's air ticket is Tk2,000 from Bangladesh to Saudi Arabia, resulting in a total of Tk4,000 for a pilgrim for a two-way ticket. Additionally, the existing 15 percent fees for embarkation, passenger security, and airport security have also been waived.
According to a press release from the revenue authority on Monday, “Costs for hajj pilgrims were increasing due to rising airfares and other factors. To make hajj expenses more affordable, excise duty and VAT in three categories have been withdrawn.”
A senior NBR official told the media that, “In response to a request from the Ministry of Religious Affairs to exempt VAT and excise duty, the NBR issued the statutory regulatory order [SRO].”
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
