Owners of CNG auto-rickshaws to be taxed

The owners of CNG-run auto-rickshaws will be brought under the tax net in the upcoming fiscal year, said National Board of Revenue Chairman Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan yesterday.

The owners will have to have taxpayers' identification number (TIN), he told a meeting with the representatives of the automobile and transport sectors at the NBR. The revenue board organised the meeting to hear the views and proposals of the sectors before framing tax measures for 2018-19.

The suggestion to make it mandatory for owners to have a trade licence and TIN came from the Four Stroke CNG Auto Rickshaw and Three Wheelers Motorbike Owners Association of Bangladesh.

The association also demanded that the NBR attach a condition for the owners to become its members.

Md Aslam Ali, president of the association, said the suggested directive would help increase revenue collection as some 20,000 CNG-run three-wheelers ply Dhaka city.

 Bhuiyan described the proposal as logical, saying many others also came forward with a similar suggestion.

The NBR chief suggested that transport operators pay more instead of the presumptive tax only.

Citing the import of hybrid and electric vehicles, he recommended that local manufacturers develop the capacity to meet demand in the coming years.

The Bangladesh Automobile Assemblers & Manufacturers Association (BAAMA) proposed reducing import duty for road tractors, semi-trailers, dumpers and tippers to support the transport of import and export items and construction materials.

"We also appeal for an extension of VAT waiver on motorcycle manufacturing for five more years," said BAAMA President Hafizur Rahman Khan.

The chairman of motorcycle maker Runner Group also demanded incentives on the export of two-wheelers.  Abdul Musabbir Ahmad, managing director of Niloy Motors Ltd, sought a policy on truck and bus manufacturing.