Reassessing holding tax relieves Ctg residents

Yasmin Akter, a widow living with three daughters in a house on 5 decimal of land in the Chattogram city, was dumbfounded when her holding tax jumped from Tk2,100 to Tk15,000 at the beginning of this year as per a measure of the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC).

She felt relieved yesterday when her holding tax amount was reassessed Tk3,000 in the Assessment Review Board hearing, organised by the CCC.

CCC Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury was present at the hearing for reviewing the appeals of the residents of Ward- 4, 5 and 6 of the port city.

Earlier, the CCC collected a maximum of 17% tax on government and private holdings based on the size of the establishments as per the City Corporation Act 2009. In 2016, the then mayor Azam Nashir Uddin started assessing holding taxes on the basis of house rent as per The City Corporation Taxation Rules enacted in 1986. Consequently, the house tax in Chattogram city increased up to eight fold.

At that time, when a movement started demanding the determination and collection of holding tax based on the size of the establishment as per the previous rule, the CCC's initiative was blocked by the intervention of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives.

However, on 18 January this year, the Local Government Division withdrew its suspension order on the CCC initiative and the CCC's revenue department started collecting tax under the new rules from July.

After that, a platform called Kardata Surokkha Parishad (Taxpayer Protection Council) started a movement against the CCC's newly levied tax.

Sourav Barua Kajal, employee of an NGO, told TBS, "I used to pay only Tk882 tax for a tin shed house, but in July, the CCC gave a notice that I have to pay Tk25,160. I decided, no matter what, I will not accept this injustice.

"So I joined the movement of the Kardata Surokkha Parishad. My holding tax was fixed at Tk2,500 in today's hearing. The civil society got the outcome of their movement today."

Kalu Mia, owner of a five-storey building on a 3 katha plot in the East Sholoshahar area in Ward-6 of CCC, said his holding tax increased eight fold from Tk20,725 to Tk1.7 lakh in the new tax structure. In yesterday's hearing, his appeal was reassessed and the holding tax was reduced by 85% to Tk25,500.

Meanwhile, a number of house owners said their appeals regarding the holding tax were not reassessed as per their demand.

Ashab Uddin (65), a resident of Chattogram city, said, "Initially I used to pay Tk17,000 for my three-storey house. In 2011-12, it was fixed at Tk51,000 by mistake. Following my appeal, it was alter fixed at Tk19,000. But in the notice sent in July this year, the house tax was fixed at Tk1 lakh without taking the old hearing's decision into consideration. I asked for a remedy for this problem today, but did not get any result."

Asked about the hearing, CCC Mayor Rezaul Karim said, "I did not impose the tax burden on the city residents. So immediately after getting elected, I said there is nothing to panic about this tax. We will consider the reasonable appeals. As long as I am the mayor, there will be no oppression of the city dwellers."

Lalkhan Bazar (Ward-14) Commissioner Abul Hasnat Belal, member of Assessment Review Board, conducted yesterday's hearing, where CCC Chief Revenue Officer Nazrul Islam, Ward-4 Commissioner Md Esrarul Haque and Ward-5 Commissioner Mohammad Kazi Nurul Amin were present.