Banner Advertise

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

[chottala.com] Muhith compromises - but it seems he doesn't know what is talking about!



Muhith compromises - but it seems he doesn't know what is talking about!
Mr. Finance minister still has time to come out clean, by informing the nation what he expects out of his ethical compromise.

About the ongoing budget debate about the so-called black money whitening, Mr. Finance minister says "Every year debate and
counter debate follows the budget, but everything will be covered in our budget discussion which is yet to begin. All things
would be considered, if necessary, on the basis of discussion in as well as outside parliament. But it is obvious that a year
will slip away as black money holders must specify how many industries they will invest in for development and for employment
generation. As the budget has given the provision unconditionally, it would not be logical to question the source."

Do you realize, Mr. Honorable Minister, how stupid and absurd do you sound?

Coming back to sane dialogue, here is something for you politicians to consider. If you really want to regain the respect of
general people, you should really stop the circus about the color of money every year in June. Too much energy of the national
discourse are spent on this absurd and stupid topic, just because your generation lost their mind long long back. The funny
thing is that Saifur is also now against black money whitening policy :):)

You guys - specifically the bureacrat turned politicians - should go back to the tax code and see whether you can simplify that to accomodate the lapse of the taxpayers. If anybody didn't file tax return or didn't tell the whole truth in their tax file for some reason in a certain year, there should be a permanent way within the tax code to accomodate that in subsequent year. If you have to reward the theives in order for the policy to work in the short term, do that in the tax code. Make an absurd tax code, if needed, for now. Even that would be better since that would let people and media to focus on the budget itself - instead of "faltu pechal". If you make a
"not-so-nice" tax code for now, future generations of lawmakers will be able to fix that slowly.


Coming back to your latest remark. You seem to know what you are talking about when you mentioned "But it is obvious that a year
will slip away as black money holders must specify how many industries they will invest in for development and for employment
generation."

Mr. Finance minister, the issue here is not whether you keep the facility for one year, or two year or three year; rather the issue is whether you have a negotiated compromise with the agents of black money holders in the country? If you do, then you should let us know how much money do you expect to be coming under formal channel during this fiscal year. Give us a total amount and tell us why do you think this amount of money justfies the moral slip in policy making.


One last thing: as long as you keep stock market investment and real-estate investment eligible for whitening the monies, you are
not really helping the economy, rather you are hurting the long term stability of the economy. We really hope that you have the
minimum theoretical understanding of economics to appreciate that.


If you thought some of the ideas are worth of your reading time, please forward it to others. If you have an ear to the columnists in regular
traditional media, please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the journalists and news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with them.
Hope they would look at the suggestions and give due diligence.

Thanks for your time,
Innovation
 Line

==========================================================
Note: This is a freelance column, published mainly in different internet based forums. This column is open for contribution by the members of new
generation, sometimes referred to as Gen 71. If you identify yourself as someone from that age-group and want to contribute to this column, please
feel free to contact. Thanks to the group moderator for publishing the article as Creative Commons contents.

After election of December 2008, we have been silent - we are observing what Hasina government does with the trial of war criminals. We would stay
silent until we really make up our mind about the intention of war criminal trial by AL government. But this article is one of the few exceptions
which needed immediate attention.
===========================================================

 

Link:
http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?cid=33&id=87444&hb=top

Govt 'may review' money whitening terms
Tue, Jun 16th, 2009 8:28 pm BdST


Dhaka, June 16 (bdnews24.com)—The government may review the terms for whitening black money in the proposed budget, on basis of discussion in
parliament, the finance minister AMA Muhith said on Tuesday.

Proposed duty hikes on cars and mobile phone sets along with the SIM tax may also be reviewed, Muhith told the reporters after a meeting with
IFC official Pierre Guislian on the proposed budget.

The minister said debate was to be expected following presentation of a new budget.

"Every year debate and counter debate follows the budget, but everything will be covered in our budget discussion which is yet to begin."

"All things would be considered, if necessary, on the basis of discussion in as well as outside parliament," said Muhith.

Some issues in this year's budget, such as duty hikes on cars and mobile phones as well as SIM tax triggered, have triggered much debate,
he said.

Some have also criticised the rise in import duty on powdered milk, said the minister.

Most debate has been around the extended three-year provision legalising undeclared income.

Muhith defended the three-year offer. "Some argued it should not be more than a one-year term."

"But it is obvious that a year will slip away as black money holders must specify how many industries they will invest in for development and
for employment generation," he said

Asked whether the sources of black money will have to be disclosed, he said, "As the budget has given the provision unconditionally, it would
not be logical to question the source."

The finance minister said IFC, part of the World Bank Group, had agreed to extend technical assistance in two sectors: private-public partnership
projects and climate change risk managment.

Guislian, IFC environment affairs director, said, "IFC has helped different countries in executing PPP."

"It also wants to assist Bangladesh."



__._,_.___


[* Moderator's Note - CHOTTALA is a non-profit, non-religious, non-political and non-discriminatory organization.

* Disclaimer: Any posting to the CHOTTALA are the opinion of the author. Authors of the messages to the CHOTTALA are responsible for the accuracy of their information and the conformance of their material with applicable copyright and other laws. Many people will read your post, and it will be archived for a very long time. The act of posting to the CHOTTALA indicates the subscriber's agreement to accept the adjudications of the moderator]




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[chottala.com] Shomokal Article [1 Attachment]

[Attachment(s) from Saiful Alam included below]

--- On Mon, 6/15/09, Farhad Mazhar <farhadmazhar@gmail.com> wrote:
 
Please find my article published in shomokal. They have not printed a graphic which is essential to understand the argument.

You can circulate the article among your friends.

Farhad

--
Farhad Mazhar
U B I N I G
22/13 Khiljee Road, Block - B
Mohammedpur, Dhaka -1207
BANGLADESH
tel: 880-2-8111465 / 8116420
fax: 8113065


Attachment(s) from Saiful Alam

1 of 1 File(s)


__._,_.___


[* Moderator's Note - CHOTTALA is a non-profit, non-religious, non-political and non-discriminatory organization.

* Disclaimer: Any posting to the CHOTTALA are the opinion of the author. Authors of the messages to the CHOTTALA are responsible for the accuracy of their information and the conformance of their material with applicable copyright and other laws. Many people will read your post, and it will be archived for a very long time. The act of posting to the CHOTTALA indicates the subscriber's agreement to accept the adjudications of the moderator]




Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___