Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury in parliament yesterday bitterly criticised the finance minister for imposing five percent tax in the proposed budget on bank depositors who do not have tax identification number.
She demanded that the finance minister withdraw the related budgetary proposal considering the financial status of bank account holders, many of whom belong to low and middle income groups.
If a taxpayer does not have a TIN, deduction of tax on bank interest will be 15 percent instead of 10 percent, according to the proposed budget for 2012-13 fiscal year.
"Did he [finance minister AMA Abdul Muhith] think that all bank account holders will have TIN? There are many low and middle income people who have bank accounts but don't have a TIN," Matia said taking part in the budget discussion.
Besides, she said growth rate of deposit in banks is less at present. "Therefore, he [finance minister] should think what result the step will bring," she added further.
In her speech, Matia also lambasted those who speak against quick rental power plants.
She claimed power generation by quick rental power plants has played an important role in increasing production of food grains, and created scopes for more than 7 lakh employment resulting in growth in gross domestic product.
Taking part in the discussion, Abdul Matin Khasru, a ruling Awami League lawmaker, expressed resentment saying that opinions of the lawmakers speaking on the proposed budget are not reflected while passage in parliament.
AL lawmaker Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim severely attacked BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for the past BNP-Jamaat four-party government's "misrule".
He also alleged that Khaleda's recent visit to Saudi Arabia was aimed at "protecting money and wealth she had taken to that country when she was in power".