VAT commissionerate conducts drive at Sitakunda over tax evasion

Staff Correspondent, Ctg

Shipbreaking yard owners enforced an indefinite strike yesterday morning after Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate in a drive seized documents from at least four yards in Sitakunda of Chattogram on charge of evading VAT.

The papers of Vatiari Steel Shipbreaking Yard, Premier Trade Corporation, Mahinur Shipbreaking Yard and SN Corporation were seized during the drive between Tuesday afternoon and 8:30pm.

“All of our associations pay VAT. No question of VAT evasion was raised before. On Tuesday, our papers were seized for the first time. Protesting it, we have suspended all operations in Sitakunda shipbreaking yards,” Nazmul Islam, assistant secretary of Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (BSBRA), told The Daily Star.

Contacted, Customs, Excise and VAT Commissioner of Chattogram Akbar Hossain said, “Sometimes, we seize documents for conducting organisational audit if we receive any VAT evasion complaint. It’s part of our regular job. The papers have been seized following law.”

“We didn’t create any obstacle in operations. We have started investigation

upon receiving complaints of VAT evasion. On completion of the investigation, it can be said whether they dodged VAT and if they did, how much,” he said.