MNA Editorial Desk: Several parliament members of ruling Awami league on Monday came down heavily on finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith for imposing excise duty on bank accounts and unified 15 percent VAT in the proposed national budget, reported news agency.
Claiming that the 15 percent VAT and excise duty on bank deposits have created panic among the countrymen, the ruling party lawmakers urged Muhith to scrap the excise duty and reduce the VAT rate.
“Your [finance minister’s] responsibility is just to place the budget… it’s the 350 MPs who determine what will be there in the budget and what will go from it considering the wellbeing of the people. You please don’t decide it. So, stop your stubbornness and talk less,” said AL presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim joining the general discussion on the proposed budget in parliament.
He demanded withdrawal of the additional excise duty imposed on bank deposits saying that it creates confusion in public mind.
“We don’t want the whole nation to carry a bad impression about Awami League for collecting more revenue from the excise duty.”
The finance minister also came under verbal attack in the parliament for his failure to curb corruption, mismanagement and looting in the banking sector.
The lawmakers also suggested the finance minister recover the looted money without increasing rate of VAT in the proposed national budget.
“Honourable Speaker, take measures through amending Article 70 so that MPs can vote against the budget. Then you will see that the finance minister would not be able to uphold his stubbornness. He [finance minister] will consider our suggestion,” AL MP Rafiqul Islam said.
Joining the general discussion, AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif that he cannot understand for what reasons and whose interests the finance minister imposed the excise duty on the bank deposits.