Bill to repeal tax ombudsman act placed
Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday placed a bill in parliament seeking to repeal the tax ombudsman act as the ombudsman's office failed to remove misrule in the tax administration.
The last BNP-led government enacted the act and set up the office.
Pointing to a Tk 1.25 crore allocation for the office in the 2000-10 revised budget, he said, "The office of the tax ombudsman has turned into a costly, but ineffective institution."
In a written statement tagged with the bill, Muhith said only 725 complain were lodged with the office in the last four years and people seeking remedy are taking legal shelter in other ways.
It seems people refrain from filing complaints, as the office does not have authority to force organisations concerned to implement its recommendations, he added.
Only a few recommendations of the ombudsman were implemented while most are still under consideration of the national board of revenue, he said.
The minister said the government has taken other measures including strengthening appeal and alternative dispute resolution system in the tax administration.
The bill proposed that all assets of the office, both moveable and immovable, documents and other properties would be put under the custody of the government while all pending complains, investigation, and witnesses will be cancelled.
The officials who were directly recruited for the ombudsman office will be considered as the government's surplus staffs and be absorbed, the proposed legislation said.
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