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Internal revenue collection: 2.73pc negative growth in March

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https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/...ion-273pc-negative-growth-in-march-1588043047

Internal revenue collection: 2.73pc negative growth in March
Doulot Akter Mala | Published: April 28, 2020 09:04:07 | Updated: April 28, 2020 11:51:34

1588043047.jpg


The economic downturn due to COVID-19 has severely affected the country's internal revenue collection that posted 2.73-per cent negative growth in March 2020.

During the period under review, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) faced a shortfall of Tk 119.55 billion against its target.

Income tax wing has faced a shortfall of Tk 53.10 billion, VAT Tk 37.51 billion and customs duty Tk 28.93 billion against their targets.


The NBR has faced a revenue collection deficit of Tk 561.38 billion in the first three quarters of this fiscal year, said its provisional data.

However, tax revenue collection registered 7.78-per cent growth from July to March of this fiscal. It was 7.25 per cent in the same period last year, according to an NBR data.

Economists predicted that the revenue collection growth would be from 0.0 to 2.0-3.0 per cent by the end of this fiscal due to the impact of coronavirus on economy.

Policy Research Institute (PRI) executive director Dr Ahsan H Mansur said the NBR might face a Tk 1.15-trillion deficit in revenue collection by this period.

"In an optimistic projection, I've found that the NBR could hardly collect Tk 2.10 trillion in tax revenue in the current fiscal year," he added.

Mr Mansur said the government would lose Tk 150-billion in tax revenue due to the coronavirus consequences.

"If the situation remained normal, the NBR would achieve 7.0-9.0 per cent growth in tax revenue collection while target has been set expecting 45-per cent growth over the corresponding period."

The analyst said the overenthusiastic and unrealistic revenue collection target with shortcomings in structural reform is responsible for a sluggish trend in revenue collection.

Recently, finance ministry has revised the tax revenue collection target at Tk 3.0 trillion, down by Tk 250 billion from the original target.

Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) executive director Dr Fahmida Khatun suggested revising the revenue collection target in a realistic way as it is still an ambitious one.

If the government prepares an expenditure plan based on a Tk 3.0-trillion target in revenue earnings, she said, it would cause a grave mismatch on the economic front.

"Budget deficit will go up this year, but we support the deficit if resources are spent on vulnerable group feeding or annual development programme targeting income-generating activities in this situation."

Earlier, the CPD projected a shortfall of Tk 1.0 trillion in tax revenue collection this fiscal.

Dr Khatun said they would revise the projection again in May following corona's impact on economy.

"Revenue shortfall is natural as COVID-19's impact on economy first began in the month of March," she added.

Both direct and indirect tax collection suffered in March for a slowdown in import, closure of business units and limited activities of corporate bodies like banks, Dr Khatun observed.

In the first three quarters of this fiscal, the NBR collected Tk 1.65 trillion in tax revenue against its target for Tk 2.21 trillion.

Last year, the revenue board collected Tk 1.53 trillion in tax revenue during the same period.

Until March, customs wing faced the highest shortfall of Tk 202.60 billion followed by income tax Tk 184 billion and VAT Tk 174.62 billion.

On an average, the NBR has achieved 13.16-per cent growth in revenue collection in the past five years.

doulot_akter@yahoo.com
 
Not bad looking at the current situation but this down trend would grow in coming days.
Yes, the down trend if continuous will cause real problem. I was expecting the govt to take up public works projects that will employ people in jobs. But, now I find this is also not possible because the govt has even stopped many ongoing projects in fear of CoVID-19.

In BD, a temporary socialist policy, whereby farmers are levied taxes on their production, may be needed until the world passes over the pandemic. This is how people without jobs can be employed and fed at least half stomach.
 
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Yes, the down trend if continuous will cause real problem. I was expecting the govt to take up public works projects that will employ people in jobs. But, now I find this is alsonot possible because the govt has stopped many ongoing projects in fear of CoVID-19.

In BD, a temporary socialist policy, whereby farmers are levied taxes on their production, may be needed until the world passes over the pandemic. This is how people without jobs can be employed and fed at least half stomach.
These are desperate times and they need desperate measures. Even if the lockdown are lifted recovery will not happen in a single day and it will take years to get back on track. The real assessment of economic damage for any country will come once a restart will happen. The important part is devise a strategy to get out of all this with minimum dagame to weak sectors.
 
I'm sure buying another dozen Apache will reverse that trend.
Come on, do not talk sarcastic, please. The dark days will be over soon. I have posted some positive news on the development of vaccine for prevention in China and for cure in America. Read them in Coronavirus related thread.

All will be fine as well as purchase of Apache a few months after this pandemic period is over.
 

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