Commerce minister Tofail Ahmed came down Saturday heavily on the existing registration fee for the country's real estate industry.
Mr Ahmed was speaking at a roundtable, jointly organised by Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) and Centre for Communication Network (CCN) on Saturday in the city.
"15 per cent registration charge can't be appropriate for the housing sector," the commerce minister said.
Assuring the realtors, the minister said, he will discuss about their existing problems with relevant ministries and departments.
The commerce minister said the real estate industry is an important sector for the country's economy.
"If the sector is run smoothly, linkage industries will flourish properly," he observed.
REHAB president Alamgir Shamsul Alamin requested the government to reduce registration charges to 7.0 per cent from existing 14 to 16 per cent.
Mr Alamin said there is no fund for consumers of real estate sector. But the government allocates fund for consumers of other sectors.
Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shawon, senior vice president of REHAB demanded for creation of a fund worth Tk 500 billion for the housing sector.
Shafiul Islam (Mohiuddin), president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) said the cost of construction materials including cement and rod is now very high.
The prices of such items should be reduced, he added.
Former minister Kazi Feroz Rashid, Amader Orthoniti editor Naimul Islam Khan, vice president of REHAB Liakat Ali Bhuiyan, among others, were present at the programme.
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