Finance Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal has promised to reduce tax rates using all economic matrixes.
The government will assess as to what extent it can reduce the tax rates by keeping tax collection consistent, and achieve the revenue target of Tk 3.25 trillion, he said at an award-giving ceremony on Thursday.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) organised the programme at a city hotel to award the tax card winners. The NBR Chairman Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan chaired the programme.
Dr Mashiur Rahman, Economic Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister, Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Finance, and the NBR Member Kalipada Halder, among others, spoke at the programme.
The NBR chairman instructed the taxmen to work for building confidence of the taxpayers.
He praised Kaus Mia, the top taxpayer who paid Tk 450 million tax as an individual taxpayer.
The finance minister awarded tax cards to 142 taxpayers, both corporate and individual, in the programme.
Another 521 individuals received crests and certificates for payment of income tax for a long time as well as the highest amount in a year at district and city corporation levels.
Of the 142 national-level highest taxpayers, 74 received the award under individual category, 57 under company category, and 11 under other categories.
The names of the highest taxpayers at national level include:
Individual category:
Senior citizen: Golam Dastagir Gazi, Tapan Chowdhury, Khondker Badrul Hasan, Samuel S Chowdhury and Anita Chowdhury.
War-wounded freedom-fighter: Abu Saleh Mohammad Nasim, Nasir Uddin Mridha, Md Idris Ali Mia, S M Abdul Wahab and Md Ataur Rouf.
Physically challenged: Sukarno Ghosh, Kazi Akhter Hossain and Md Mamunur Rashid.
Female: Rubayat Farzana Hossain, Ratna Patra, Parvin Hasan, Nishat Farzana Chowdhury and Mahmuda Ali Sikdar. Individual (aged under 40): Nafis Sikder, Md Amjad Khan, Gazi Golam Mortuza, Md Hasan and Md Zulfikar Hossain Masud Rana.
Businessman: Md Kaus Mia, Md Nuruzzaman Khan, Kamrul Ashraf Khan, Syed Abul Hossain and Abdul Kadir Molla.
Salaried person: Laila Hossain, Mohammad Yusuf, Hosne Ara Hossain, Khwaja Tajmahal and M A Haider Hossain.
Doctor: A K M Fazlul Haque, Pran Gopal Datta, Jahangir Kabir, Md Nurul Islam and N A M Momenuzzaman.
Journalist: Mohammad Abdul Malek, Mahfuz Anam, Shaikh Siraj, Matiur Rahman and Naem Nizam.
Lawyer: Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Ahsanul Karim, Mahbubey Alam, Tanjib-ul-Alam and Nihad Kabir.
Engineer: Mohammad Anwar Hossain, Md Hafizur Rahman and Mohammad Hamidul Haque.
Architect: Faiz Ullah, Md Hasan Shams Uddin and Iqbal Habib.
Accountant: Md Moktar Hossain, M B M Lutful Hadee and Bimalendu Chakraborty. New taxpayer: Mia Monika Rafiqulovna, Md Tafijul Islam Pial, Rana Malik, Siatun Nesa, Selina Akter, Saiful Islam and Rasel Roy.
Player: Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal Khan and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.
Actor/actress: Mahfuz Ahmed, M A Jalil Ananta and S A Abul Hayat.
Singer: Tahsan Rahman Khan, Runa Laila and S D Rubel.
Others: Sadruddin Khan, Abu Mohammad Ziauddin Khan and Nazrul Islam Mazumdar.
Company:
Banking: Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd, Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC, Southeast Bank Ltd, and Pubali Bank Ltd. Non-bank financial institution: IDLC Finance Ltd, Investment Corporation of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Infrastructure Finance Fund Ltd, and Uttara Finance and Investment Ltd.
Telecommunications: Grameenphone Ltd.
Engineering: BSRM Steels Ltd, PHP Cold Rolling Mills Ltd, and PHP NOF Continuous Galvanizing Mills Ltd.
Food and Allied: Nestle Bangladesh Ltd, Olympic Industries Ltd, and Transcom Beverages Ltd.
Energy: Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd, Sylhet Gas Field Ltd, and Chevron Bangladesh Blocks 13 and 14 Ltd.
Jute: Janata Jute Mills, Super Jute Mills, and Ahyan Jute Mills Ltd.
Spinning and textile: Coats Bangladesh Ltd, Apex Textile Printing Mills, Badsha Textiles Ltd, Square Textile Mills, Envoy Textiles Ltd, Fakhruddin Textiles Mills Ltd, and Square Fashion Yarns Ltd.
Pharmaceuticals and chemicals: Unilever Bangladesh Ltd, Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Renata Ltd, and Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Print and electronic media: Media Star Ltd, East West Media Group Ltd, Transcraft Ltd, and Media World Ltd.
Real estate: Rangs Properties Ltd, Equity Properties Management Ltd, and Bay Developments Ltd.
RMG: Youngone Hi-tech Sportswear Industries Ltd, Rifat Garments Ltd, GMS Composite Knitting Industries Ltd, Ha-Meem Denim Ltd, That's It Sportswear Ltd, Pacific Jeans Ltd, and Four H Fashions Ltd.
Leather: Bata Shoe Company BD Ltd, Apex Footwear Ltd, and Atlas Footwear Ltd.
Others: British American Tobacco Bangladesh, American Life Insurance Company, Sadharan Bima Corporation and Toma Construction and Co Ltd.
Other category: Messer's SN Corporation, Messer's ASBS, Messer's Saleh Ahmad, Walton Plaza, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, Mongla Cement Factory, East West University, ASA, Buro Bangladesh, and RS Trading.
doulot_akter@yahoo.com