Business desk :
The businessmen from Dhaka and district levels have urged the government to save them from the pressure that the VAT and income tax officials are putting on them for tax collection even during the Covid 19 fallouts.
The businessmen have also demanded immediate and equal disbursement of the money from the government sponsored stimulus fund so that they can survive during the difficult time of Covid-19 pandemic.
Almost all presidents of the district level chamber of commerce said the worst sufferers of the Covid-19 fallouts are cottage, micro, small and medium enterprises as most of those units are yet to receive the stimulus fund from the banks.
The businessmen of the grassroots level also demanded for introducing one stop services for them as they need to obtain business licences from 33 different government offices to start a business, which is expensive and time consuming for them.
The businessmen expressed their concern at the view exchange meeting of the Council of Chamber Presidents 2022.
The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) organised the council meeting where the businessmen of grassroots level especially the presidents of district level business chambers, different trade associations and women entrepreneurs spoke.
Md Jashim Uddin, FBCCI president, also echoed the views of the businessmen.
Jashim Uddin said the number of loan defaulters will go up by 50 per cent if the timeframe of installment is not extended.
“Bangladesh Bank authorities recently have said they will not extend the time. I think the number of loan defaulters will increase by 40-50 per cent if the time is not extended amid the Covid pandemic,” he said.
Urging the government to find way on why bad loans go up, the FBCCI president there are more than 30 per cent of bad loans in the country and no small businesses are loan defaulters, rather big businesses are.
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President Rizwan Rahman said the government should lay emphasis on an automation system to ensure hassle free VAT and tax collection. “We need a national database to revive the small and medium businesses,” he added.
