Parliament members including ministers have extended their hands to campaigners who seek withdrawal of a proposed tax on meditation training in the budget for 2016-2017 fiscal which is set to be passed in the current session of the House on June 30.
A number of ruling Awami League and opposition lawmakers in the past several weeks told the house that the proposed seven percent VAT on meditation training must be withdrawn as the service appeared crucial for relieving the people particularly the younger generation of frustration, stress and bad habits.
“The younger generation in particular is getting rid of harmful influences . . . therefore
the meditation should rather be encouraged withdrawing the proposed tax,” civil aviation and tourism minister Rashed Khan Menon told the session earlier this week.
Ruling Awami League joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif and Monoronjon Sheel Gopal also raised their voice to support fellow parliament members.Finance minister AMA proposed seven percent tax on meditation training institutes in the budget, reviving a previously abandoned proposal.
