Holding taxes raised in Chattogram city

Homeowners in Chattogram city will now have to pay holding taxes on the basis of rental income instead of the size of the establishments.

The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Co-operatives on Tuesday withdrew its postponement order on the five-year holding tax reassessment programme and asked the Chattogram City Corporation to take necessary action in this regard.

Md Jahirul Islam, deputy secretary, Local Government Division (city corporation-2 section), sent a letter to Md Shahidul Alam, chief executive officer of CCC, in this regard, asking the city corporation to take ncecessay measures in this direction.

Meanwhile, homeowners have threatened to wage movements if the CCC raises the holding tax on the basis of the new system.     

According to the letter, the corporation is deprived of a huge amount of revenue as homeowners in Chattogram are paying holding taxes at a rate that was fixed 10 years ago. The city corporation has been asked to realise holding taxes on the basis of the five-year holding tax reassessment programme published in 2017-18 so as to increase its revenues. 

During the tenure of former mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, the CCC announced the reassessment of taxes in 2016-17 fiscal year. But amid huge protests from homeowners, the ministry on 10 December 2017, postponed the holding-tax reassessment programme.

Regarding the issue, CCC Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury told the media, "Even if the ministry withdraws its pause on the tax reassessment programme, the tax will not be increased now. Only the tax coverage will increase."