Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has planned to collect taxes from new 19 heads with effect from 2020-2021 fiscal year to increase the revenue income of the corporation. It has already targeted to collect revenue of Tk 96.58 crore from these heads every year.
But the urban planners said that the imposition of taxes without discussion with the city dwellers is not a sign of good governance. Our city corporations are not giving sufficient services to the people. So the authorities cannot impose the burden of the taxes without talking to the citizens.
DSCC Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has prepared his first budget after his win in the city election. He approved a budged of Tk 6116.59 crore for the city corporation on July 7 this year which is 68.44 percent larger than that of last fiscal year, sources said.
The authorities planned to collect 76 percent of the budget money from the government and foreign sources.
Newly imposed taxes are: rickshaw license fee Tk 24 crore, construction and reconstruction of building fee Tk 5 crore, tax on import of goods in the city for consumption, use or sale Tk 1 crore, tax on export of goods from the city Tk 1 crore, toll collection Tk 12 crore, tax on profession Tk 1 crore, tax on marriage Tk 60 lakh and tax on animals Tk 6 lakh.
It also imposed the tax on public service performances of Tk 10 lakh, tax on taxes imposed by the government Tk 12 lakh, tax on educational institution Tk 1 crore, tax on
fairs and public gatherings Tk 20 lakh, tax on market leasing Tk 1 crore, tax on tutorials and coaching centers Tk 5 crore, tax on private hospitals and clinics Tk 10 crore, city tax on residential hotel stay Tk 1.5 crore, annual fee for the primary waste collection service provider Tk 9 crore, road using fee for utility services Tk 12 crore and others fee Tk 12 crore.
Local Government specialist Dr Tofaiel Ahmed said, “This will be a burden for the city dwellers. I think this budget was not planned after consulting with the citizens, who are already paying taxes to the city corporation for most of the new sectors that have been included here. Tax cannot be levied twice for one service.”
Dr. Adil Mohammed Khan, a Professor of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning of Jahangirnagar University, said that the initiatives taken by DSCC are applicable in case of the developed and rich countries.
“These models are followed in developed countries as the citizens there get full services from the city corporation. But the Mayors of the Dhaka city don’t give any mentionable service to the citizens, added Dr Adil Mohammad.
