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New holding tax evokes resentment in Barisal

RAFIQUL Islam, Barisal
The increased holding taxes have evoked resentment among house owners in Barisal City Corporation (BCC) areas.
They demanded that the BCC authorities reconsider the decision to hike such taxes by 10-20 times and keep those uniform and at a tolerable level.
Holding taxes have been revised as per a survey conducted three years ago, officials said.
City Mayor Shawkat I Hossain Hiron told The Daily Star that the recent reassessment move was aimed at bringing the newly constructed houses in BCC's old and extended areas under tax net, which had not been updated for the last 6 years.
The number of houses in the 45 square kilometre areas of BCC, upgraded from a municipality in 2002, is 36,000-28,000 in the old part
and 8,000 in the extended part.
In fiscal 2004-05, the assessment for holding taxes on 28,000 houses began, while such assessment on 8,000 houses kicked off in FY2005-06.
An unhappy resident of Ruptali area said the BCC has raised the annual holding tax for his tin-shed house on only two decimals of land toTk l,500crorefromTkll0. In this context he pointed to the fact that his neighbour has been charged the same amount of tax for his house built on 40 decimals of land.
This anomaly or the lack of uniformity in the holding tax will create room for corruption by the BCC staff, he further pointed out.
Ayub Ali of Bagura Road area has also expressed his dismay over the re-fixing of taxes for his house to Tk 4,500 from Tk 900.
Mir Moniruzzam of the same area said, "The BCC
authorities are now just harassing us in the name of fixing new rates".
Abdul Mannan of Natun Bazar area alleged in the absence of a uniform rate, the BCC tax collectors are taking decisions at their whims.
On such allegation, BCC Ward Commissioner Nasir Uddin said the city corporation staffers have been directed to follow the existing rules in re-fixing holding tax. “If there is anything wrong, it will be corrected," he said.
The corporation collected Tk 4.05 crore as holding taxes from 36,000 houses inFY2006-2007.
Meanwhile, the BCC mayor complained that owners of the houses constructed before 2003 are now paying holding tax. "This should not happen. We want to put new house owners on the fist of taxpayers,” Hiron said.