Staff Correspondent:

Deputy Commissioners were instructed to bring doctors in districts, upazilas, and rural areas, who have substantial income but evade taxes, under tax net, said Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed on Monday.

The directive was given to the deputy commissioners during the second session of the 2nd day of the three-day Deputy Commissioners’ (DC) Conference at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium.

Talking to reporters after the session, the adviser said initiatives are being taken to ensure that doctors and lawyers issue receipts or use digital payment methods for their fees so that they could be brought under the tax net.

“You know that field-level officials implement any decision taken by the government. If these officials are efficient and service-oriented, people will get effective services,” the adviser said.

He said many doctors and lawyers conduct transactions in cash making it difficult to bring them under the tax net.

“Patients do not receive receipts for the fees they pay doctors. If payments are made digitally, there will be a record as is the practice abroad,” he added.

The adviser also stressed the need to boost employment at the local level citing China’s example where rural industries are well-connected globally.

“Products made in a remote Chinese village are available in Walmart stores in the US. Due to a lack of connectivity products from Bangladesh’s remote areas do not reach global markets,” he said.

“We must expand the tax net while keeping VAT and tax rates at a reasonable level. Our industries number around is 50 to 60 lakh but only 5lakh  pay taxes,” the adviser said.