THE DECISION of the prime minister to postpone implementation of the new VAT law is a laudable one and she deserves to be heartily thanked for the well conceived initiative. It is a timely decision on her part, but for which her government, vis-à-vis the ruling party might have been subjected to sharp criticism of the opposition that could make the party unpopular among the general mass. The decision of the PM came as a relief for the common people who are already hard pressed by the increasing prices of essentials. It is an old political party and it did not take long to understand the sentiment of the common people.
We hope the government of Sheikh Hasina will address similar other issues in the same manner to relieve the common people. This particular move goes to confirm that the ruling party cares about popular feelings as the next election is just round the corner. The government will particularly concentrate on the issue of higher development cost in the country compared to those of the countries of similar status. Indeed, our development cost is too high and we all know that rampant corruption and slow pace of work are the two main reasons responsible for this high cost. It is high time we tried to ensure transparency and accountability in all spheres of our national life in the interest of all-round inclusive development of the country.
Farhan
Mohakhali, Dhaka