Jatiya Nagorik Committee has demanded the withdrawal of two ordinances issued by the interim government increasing customs duties, taxes and VAT on hundreds of products and services, including daily necessities such as medicines, LP gas, powdered milk, and mobile phone SIM cards.
At the same time, the organization has also demanded the introduction of subsidized sales of goods by truck through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
The committee has also called on the interim government to reconsider the terms of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan agreement.
Committee’s member secretary Akhtar Hossain made these demands at a press conference organized at the their central office at Bangla Motor in the capital on Saturday afternoon.
On January 10, the interim government issued two ordinances increasing customs duties, taxes, and VAT on hundreds of goods and services, including biscuits, medicines, clothing purchases, sweets, several types of tissues, automobile garages, LP gas, medicines, and mobile phone SIM cards.
With the mid-point of the current fiscal year, analysts believe that the increase in value-added tax (VAT), supplementary and excise duties on these goods and services under pressure from the IMF could increase the prices of these goods.
At the press conference, committee member secretary Akhtar Hossain said, "The issuance of two ordinances to increase the value-added tax (VAT) and supplementary duty will increase the price level and business costs, which will have a negative impact on the standard of living of the common people."
"The government will increase the tax base to increase its revenue. This is a natural process. However, while increasing taxes, the government must remember that the standard of living of the common people does not decrease and their suffering does not increase."
Describing the previous government as illegal and its economic policies as anti-people and looting, he said that the people's living conditions are already in a fragile state.
"In this situation, the previous illegal government decided to accept a loan of 4.7 billion dollars from the IMF, as you know, the IMF loan is the last resort for any country to get a loan. The interim government recently issued these ordinances as part of the decision to increase VAT in several stages as a condition for this tough loan."
Addressing the interim government, he said, "Our question to the government created through a popular uprising is: Has the current government called on the IMF to reconsider the terms of the illegal government's loan? They cannot increase the suffering of the people by continuing the agreement of an illegal government."
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
