Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
A sudden rise in holding tax has triggered outcry among owners of houses in different wards under the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC).
The SCC authorities set a makeshift camp in front of Nagar Bhaban to help the city-dwellers pay taxes and provide required information.
Almost all the house owners were worried about the abnormal hike in holding taxes, many people alleged.
Sources informed that the tax rise has been even over 200 to 300 per cent for old 27 wards in the city.
Almost all the people, who came to the camp for paying taxes, were annoyed about the tax hike. It will be difficult for many to clear the dues.
They claimed that these are just a double blow to them at this time of hardship.
Addressing rallies, various forums raised concerns and demanded fresh assessments to reduce the tax rates.
On Tuesday, some of them met SCC Mayor Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury and handed over a memorandum.
Officials at the Durnitimukto Bangladesh Forum in their memorandum demanded supply of pure drinking water, parking facilities at the malls and markets, effective traffic system and corruption-free city services.
However, SCC officials said if anyone finds it too much, he or she can file an appeal for resettlement of the tax.
It will be properly reassessed and resettled, if required. Moreover, the tax rise has been on the basis of assessment, conducted during the former mayor's tenure, not during the new mayor's period, they added.
During a visit to the Nagar Bhaban premises, hundreds of people were seen thronged at the makeshift camp to enquire about the tax issue.
The camp with 40 booths has been serving for a week to continue until 14 May. One is for information and others are for tax payments. The booths had queues of both males and female.
Anwar Hossain of ward 18 said there has been an abnormal rise in the tax on my one-storey house as well as on a shop.
"I have been asked to pay Tk 8,000 yearly against Tk 2000 in the past. For the shop it has been set at Tk 18,000 in place of Tk 8000."
"I'll appeal for remedy against the unjustified increase. We're suffering a serious economic crisis," he added.
One Khaled Ahmed alleged that he somehow managed to pay Tk 4,000 for a quarter for his house's holding tax.
"Now, I would have to pay Tk 16,000 yearly in place of Tk 944 per quarter in the last year."
An official, however, said that normally the SCC authorities conduct two types of assessments, general assessments in every five years for holding tax and the other is yearly.
The SCC revenue officials conduct it. But there had been no assessment since after 2005, which had been effective since 2007.
SCC chief revenue officer Matiur Rahman Khan said the new tax rate had been fixed on the basis of 2019-2020 assessment for 27 wards. But the inhabitants of the newly-included 15 wards of the city will get holding tax rate after completion of the ongoing assessment, he added.
The field survey was done in 2021-2022 for setting new tax rates.