The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Saturday inaugurated online tax payment system introduced by the National Board of Revenue.
She launched the service by paying her advance income tax online for the year 2012-13 at a programme at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city, reports United News of Bangladesh.
Initially, the taxpayers having accounts with 26 banks that share Q-cash ATM (automated teller machine) networks will get the scope to pay taxes online.
Two state-run banks, Sonali and Janata, as well as 24 private banks are in the Q cash network.
Other banks that issue Visa debit or credit cards will also come gradually under the e-payment system, said an official of NBR.
Taxpayers at present pay taxes through treasury chalan (voucher) or pay orders to deposit taxes to the state exchequer through Sonali Bank.
It causes hassles to the taxpayers as they have to stand for long in queues to deposit money and get receipt of payments.
Hasina at the tax payment launching programme directed the NBR to quickly accomplish the task of e-filing of tax returns.
She expressed the hope that with the launching of online tax payment system, there would be more revenue earnings and all the citizens who are eligible to pay income tax would be motivated. ‘Expatriate Bangladeshis can also avail the service through visiting the specific portal.’
Hasina asked the authorities concerned for gradual improvement of the online tax payment system according to the demand of the taxpayers.
She also emphasised regular maintenance of interactive tax website to handle the pressure of the service seekers especially in August and September.
She mentioned that the revenue earnings would have to be increased as her government wants to stand on its own feet to meet the development goals of its own funding.
Finance minister AMA Muhith and PM’s economic affairs adviser Mashiur Rahman spoke as special guests at the function. NBR chairman Nasiruddin Ahmed and FBCCI  president AK Azad also spoke.
Hasina emphasised changing the mindset of both the taxpayers and revenue collectors in a bid to widen the tax net and also increase the number of taxpayers and income tax returnees.
‘We’ll have to motivate all the people who are eligible to pay income tax to come under the tax net,’ she said.
Hasina said that the government had taken the initiative to make the Income Tax and VAT Act as time-befitting as well as to construct a modern revenue building in the capital apart from expanding the income tax and VAT departments.
She said that reforms in the overall tax administration had already been
made and the scope of automation along with infrastructural development was widened.
Kanon Kumar Roy, e-governance focal point officer of the NBR, who made a presentation on the online payment system at the function, told New Age that the NBR would allow online payment of taxes by account holders of 26 banks after it will go for a seven-day trial payment system in Sonali Bank.
‘We have already gone for a trial run at our server. We will go for another trial at Sonali Bank and then the system will be introduced for clients of 26 banks in next seven days,’ he said.