Staff Reporter :
The revenue collection at Cumilla Customs Excise and VAT Commissionerate has increased by 62 per cent to Tk 3,134 crore in the just concluded fiscal year (2020-21), despite the slowed economic activities caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The commissionerate earned Tk 2,883 crore in the fiscal year 2019-20 and Tk 2,954 crore in the fiscal year 2018-19, according to a provisional data of it.
It collected Tk 510 crore against a monthly target of Tk 369 crore with 38 per cent growth in June, the provisional data added.
The revenue collected in the immediate past year is a milestone for Cumilla VAT Commissionerate.
Besides, it attained top position among the 12 VAT commissionerates in online VAT returns submission for the ten consecutive months in the past fiscal year.
Officials said they have able to achieve the milestones by ensuring their own health and safety in the pandemic inspired by the incumbent Commissioner Mohammad Belal Hossain Chowdhury.
Belal Hossain said that it was difficult to sustain the growth of the previous fiscal considering the ongoing pandemic situation.
“Despite various odd situations, we have achieved 62 per cent growth in Value-Added Tax (VAT) collection in the fiscal year 2020-21. It was not an easy task to overcome the odds and achieve new heights,” Belal said.
Salauddin Ripon, Assistant Commissioner of the Commissionerate, said that Tk 3,314 crore was the highest revenue collection in the history of it.
“A lot of hard work went into this. Several special teams were formed from the department to collect revenue,” he added.
“To collect revenue, we had to visit remote areas physically. Cumilla’s success was unexpected and unprecedented,” he said.
A revenue officer recalled the story of a brick kiln owner, who was unable to pay arrears, sold next season’s bricks in advance and deposited Tk 9 lakh to the government treasury.
Another was a deceased person who owed Tk 9.5 lakh to the revenue collection office 27 years ago.
Special arrangements were made with the deceased’s family and another acquaintance, who happened to be a jailor of Chandpur Central Jail, after which Tk 6 lakh was realised in revenue.
Separate task forces have been formed to cover six regions, namely Cumilla, Feni, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Chandpur, and Brahmanbaria, to collect the revenue, officials said.
