EWMGL receives highest taxpayer award

East West Media Group Limited (EWMGL), a concern of Bashundhara Group, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in the country, was once received the highest taxpayer award in print and electronic media category.

The media company, which runs entities including the daily sun, Kaler Kantho, Bangladesh Pratidin, banglanews24.com News24 TV channel and Capital FM radio station, received the award during a function held at a city hotel on Monday.

Bangladesh Pratidin Editor Naem Nizam, also the CEO of News24 and Radio Capital, also received a crest and tax card as one of the highest taxpayers in journalist category.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith attended the function as the chief guest. State Minister for Finance and Planning Abdul Manan and FBCCI President Shafiul Islam were also present at the event as special guests. NBR chairman Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan presided over the function.

National Board of Revenue (NBR) organised the event to awarded tax cards to a total 204 taxpayers from individual and company categories for paying highest income taxes at the national level in the fiscal year 2017-18.

Of the national-level highest taxpayers, 76 received the award in the individual category, 55 in company category and 10 from in category in addition to 63 individual taxpayers from nine districts.

This year, NBR has a plan to award a total of 656 individual and corporate taxpayers for paying the highest amount of income taxes in different categories.

The NBR has been awarding tax cards to top taxpayers in separate categories for the last three years.

The highest tax cardholders are entitled to enjoying a number of privileges for one year, including priority while reserving seats in public transports, public hospitals, access to VIP lounges at the airports and invitation to various national functions.
Like previous years, taxpayers from two business houses —Drug International and Square — dominated the list while most of the leading and well-known business people of the country remained out of the list.

The NBR officials said many renowned business people and business houses were not selected for the award as they had disputes over taxes with the tax authorities.      

In 2016-17 fiscal, Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and his family had received ‘Kar Bahadur Paribar’ award along with 83 other families from across the country for paying highest income tax to the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

However, this year the NBR will not give anyone ‘Kar Bahadur Paribar’ award.

SOURCE : Daily Sun