Shah Alam Nur :Business leaders on Monday rejected outright the Rapid Action Battalion’s (RAB) proposal to collect VAT from the businessmen saying that involvement of RAB in the process will create disorder in the society.It’s a dangerous plan. We oppose involvement of the elite force in the tax collection process. And any attempt in this regard should be stopped, they said. “VAT collection is not the duty of RAB. National Board of Revenue (NBR) is the rightful authority to discharge the job. So, none of the businessmen expect their involvement in the process,” Abdul Matlub Ahmad, President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) told The New Nation on Monday.He feared that RAB’s involvement in this process might create a nuisance and the business community does not expect it. Businessmen wish to pay tax without any hassle. They do not want to pay taxes under pressure.Helal Uddin, President of Dhaka Mohanagar Dokan Malik Samity, told this reporter that, “RAB generally works as being a specialized force in the police to help maintain law and order in the society.”He said generally RAB personnel are trained up for conducting intelligence businesses pertaining to anti-criminal activities, including the anti-militant actions.Helal said NBR have been providing special training to its employees for VAT collection. But the RAB does not have that training.Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) Vice-President Aktar Matin Chaudhury said “We have been opposing the plan of bringing RAB in tax collection.” He said this is unfortunate that the government is trying to involve RAB in the VAT collection process. The attempt should be stopped.President of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) Tapan Chowdhury said experienced officials should come to verify the paperwork if any businessman is dodging VAT. He said it is not clear why a law enforcement agency would conduct such a drive. NBR has assigned people for this and they will do their work.Recently, RAB has sent a proposal to the NBR to conduct collection drive for them. The law enforcement agency also proposed to revise the current mobile court act in this connection.NBR collects VAT under the present act and also takes action against the VAT dodgers. The VAT intelligence unit works to prevent VAT evasion. As per article 24 of the VAT Act, the law enforcing agencies can only provide cooperation, if sought for by the NBR in collection of tax.NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman said, “We will collect VAT under the prevailing act and take the help of the law enforcement agencies if necessary.”The written proposal signed by RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed said drives under the mobile court act conducted by the RAB executive magistrates are being praised by the people for its success in dealing with various offences, including food adulteration, selling expired and fake medicine and cosmetics, phony physicians, unlicensed clinics and diagnostic centres, illegal blood banks, and illegal trade of wild animals.The proposal said mobile courts of RAB cannot conduct drives to prevent VAT-related offences as the VAT Act-1991 is not included in the schedule of Mobile Court Act 2009. It also added VAT evasion has increased over the years and the government is losing huge amounts of revenue.RAB executive magistrates will be able to conduct mobile courts to prevent such offences with the coordination of the VAT and customs officials if the VAT act is included in the schedule of the Mobile Court Act, said the proposal. The proposal further said such initiative would prevent VAT evasion and increase awareness among the businessmen about revenue payment, protect interest of the consumers and help achieve the revenue collection target of the NBR.
