Staff Reporter :
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday termed the people having flats and lands in Dhaka as ‘black money holders’.
It is because the black money holders do not disclose the actual costs of their assets [flats and lands] while selling and purchasing.
He told it to the newsmen after a meeting of the cabinet committee on public procurement.
AHM Mustafa Kamal said, “It is the people who have land or who have purchased land can say exactly how much money was spent for registering and how much the land’s actual price is.”
“The reality is that the actual price of the flat is Tk 100 million, which is shown Tk 20 million, depriving the government of receiving additional registration fees. So, black money is being generated from here,” he claimed.
The minister, however, held the government and its existing system responsible for this situation.
Talking about laundered money, the finance minister said, “When the laundered money will be brought back to the country, a portion of it will be invested in the country’s capital market, different mills and industries and trade and commerce.” When asked whether he is under pressure over repatriating laundered money, the minister said, “I don’t feel any type of pressure. I will do what I have uttered. I don’t return from the half way. When I set incentive on remittance, many criticised my initiative saying money won’t come, money will siphon off. But money came at the end and set a record.”
The minister said, “When I am trying to bring the laundered money back to the nation, it is being said that the government is allowing scope to whiten the back money. I repeatedly say that it is secret money and there is nothing to be shy.
The government is responsible for this. Once, I was in charge and tried to increase the price of land in Dhaka city but I couldn’t.”
“At the same time, it will make the country’s trade and commerce dynamic,” he added.
“I hope that once the budget is implemented, it will have an impact on the capital market and the market will recover,” the minister said.
“Our country’s economy is going well. Growth is also getting better. Our GDP growth rate is stronger than the rest of the world. Therefore, it is our expectation that the capital market will function well.
The finance minister further said that the capital market will rise once and fall again – this is the normal rule. The country’s capital market is running according to that rule. When asked whether the prices of fuel oil would be increased, he said, “We are yet to finalise the issue. However, the government wants to educe the sufferings of people.”
