Muhith for people’s well-being over revenue targets

Finance minister AMA Muhith on Tuesday said that his government was
working for the well-being of the country's people rather than
putting the highest priority on increasing revenue collection. 'We
have slashed down import duties on a number of commodities for the
well-being of the country's people despite knowing that it will
reduce our revenue collection,' he said while addressing separate
programmes in Chittagong. The finance minister exchanged views
with the officials of the Chittagong Customs and Chittagong Port
Authorities and the leaders of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and
Industries, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters
Association, Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association and
Bangladesh Shipping Agents' Association in two separate meetings at
the Customs House in the morning. Muhith said they would focus on
boosting investment, industrialisation and administrative reforms to
strengthen the economy, adding that the suffering of the people become
intolerable when the government puts the highest priority on revenue
earning. He said that at least 25 per cent of the total revenue
remained unrealized due to the writ petitions filed by the importers
and so formation of a special bench at the High Court for quick
disposal of the petitions was under process. The minister said the
government was taking pragmatic measures to curb extortion and
profiteering, as these were the major reasons behind the price-hike
of essential commodities. He also said they were taking necessary
measures to initiate capital dredging of the river Karnaphuli
immediately for increasing the navigability of the port channel,
adding that other facilities of the Chittagong Port were adequate
for conducting export-import activities smoothly. He said that the
pre-shipment inspection system was introduced 12 years back as an
interim measure, and that they were optimistic of putting an end to
it after developing an alternative system by the end of the current
fiscal year. Nasiruddin Ahmed, chairman of the National Board of
Revenue, Commodore RU Ahmed, chairman of the CPA, Syed Golam Kibria,
customs commissioner (import), Shahabuddin Nagari, customs
commissioner (export), MA Salam, senior vice-president of the CCCI,
Nasiruddin Chowdhury, first vice-president of the BGMEA, Ahsanul
Haque Chowdhury, president of the BSAA, and AKM Akhtar Hossain,
president of the C&F Agent Association, were present at the
views-exchange meetings, along with others.