The Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar said, ‘Our National Board of Revenue (NBR) sees very well the mosquito that flies in front of the eyes, but does not see the elephant that is destroying from behind. But it is not in the policy of Sheikh Hasina’s government to look only at revenue collection without seeing that.
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar made such comments regarding the imposition of 15 percent VAT on mobile handsets manufactured in the country. Speaking as the chief guest at the pre-workshop titled ‘Affordable Smart Devices’ aimed at formulating national broadband policy at BTRC Auditorium in Ramna on Thursday (March 16), the minister said that there is no opportunity to exclude computers as well as smartphones as smart devices.
Chairman of BTRC Shyam Sundar Sikder presided over the keynote presentation of the workshop by Director General of BTRC Brigadier General Nasim Parvez. Since the introduction of smart devices in the country in 2017, the smartphone usage rate in the country has increased from 26 percent to 53 percent, but still 50 percent of the people are outside. Similarly, if the digital divide is reduced in rural and urban areas, broadband connectivity will also increase.
Addressing the special guest at the event, Post and Telecommunication Department Secretary Abu Hena Morshed Zaman said that the use of smart phones should be increased if connectivity is to reach the marginalized.
At the beginning of the workshop, the president of Bangladesh Mobile Phone Manufacturers Association Ruhul Alam Al Mahbub highlighted the market barriers of mobile handsets produced in the country. He said that handsets of more than 30 percent of the capacity cannot be manufactured due to various obstacles including the imposition of 15 percent VAT.
The Minister of Posts and Telecommunications commented that digital devices or connectivity are not luxury goods at all. At the same time, Mustafa Jabbar advised NBR to prevent black market without increasing VAT.
While speaking as the President, BTRC Chairman Shyam Sundar Shikder highlighted the importance of devices in establishing smart connectivity for Smart Bangladesh. He said to review the tax policy to increase usage.
BTRC Commissioner Abu Syed Dilzar Hossain delivered a welcome speech on the occasion. ISPAB President Imdadul Haque, AMTOB Secretary General SM Farhad and senior officials of mobile operators were present.
