The National Board of Revenue will provide all export-oriented sectors with the same facilities afforded to garment exporters to diversify exports, NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem said yesterday.

For example, the government has reduced the corporate tax to 10 percent for green garment factories and 12 percent for non-green garment factories.

The rate is 20 percent for listed companies, 27.5 percent for non-listed firms, and 45 percent for tobacco and non-listed telecom operators.

The NBR will take similar measures for other export-oriented sectors, Muneem said.

He was speaking at a pre-budget dialogue with the members of the Economic Reporters' Forum (ERF) at the NBR office in Dhaka.

Garment exporters also enjoy bonded warehouse facilities, which may be extended to other sectors so the export is diversified, he said.

Under the bonded warehouse facility, exporters can import raw materials duty-free to make finished goods for overseas markets. Neither the raw materials nor the final products can be sold in the local markets.

While the NBR has no plans to provide any partial bonded warehouse facilities to exporters, they can avail of the duty-drawback facility, which is the refund of duties and taxes paid on inputs or raw materials used for the manufacture of exported goods and services.

Muneem also said the NBR has no plans to set up offices in rural areas to collect tax.

"Since there are not many affluent people in such areas, setting up offices there will not be a wise move."

In order to boost tax collection, the NBR is introducing tax return preparers (TRPs).

"TRPs will help people prepare tax files, thereby boosting tax collection," Muneem opined.

He said the number of taxpayer identification number (TIN) holders in Bangladesh is high as many availed them for one-time use for various reasons. However, return submissions have also increased.

Return submissions have reached 36 lakh compared from 21 lakh in June 2020.

"By June this year, the number of return submissions will reach 40 lakh while the number of TIN-holders will rise by 30 percent."

The number of companies with VAT registration codes has also gone up.

In June 2020, there were 2 lakh companies with VAT registration numbers. That number has climbed to 4.97 lakh and is expected to cross 5 lakh soon.

The NBR also plans to reduce the VAT rate, the senior secretary said, adding that VAT had already been reduced at the retail level in some cases for the greater interest of consumers.

For instance, the VAT on sales of sweetmeat is included in the prices as many shops do not have the capacity to calculate the indirect tax separately.

The NBR chief suggested consumers collect invoices when they purchase goods from shops so that no entity can evade taxes or VAT.

At the meeting, the ERF submitted a set of proposals for the NBR to consider in the upcoming budget, which will be unveiled in June.

Doulot Akter Mala, special correspondent of the Financial Express, read out the budget proposal. ERF President Mohammad Refayet Ullah Mirdha also spoke.