The Voluntary Consumers Training and Awareness Society (VOCTA), a non-government voluntary organization dedicated to protect the consumers’ rights, on Sunday urged the government not to increase pressure of taxes on the consumers, continue giving subsidy in the agriculture and fuel sector and remove the provision of black money whitening in the upcoming budget of 2024-25 fiscal year to be placed in budget session of Jatiya Sangsad (JS) in first week of June this year.

At a pre-budget press conference held at Jatiya Press Club, VOCTA has also demanded to ensure that inflation and market price of commodities and other products are not increased after placing budget in the JS, bringing black money holder under legal actions and taking stringent actions against the bank loan defaulters.

Khalilur Rahman Sajal, executive director of VOCTA, read out the written statement while its chairman Dhaka University Prof Dr. Hossain Uddin Shekhar, vice chairman Sanowar Hossain Nawroz, director (finance) Lutfar Rahman Leeton, directors Mizanur Rahman Talukder, Saidul Abedin Dollar, Dr. Latiful Bari, Mohosinul Karim Lebu, Fazlul Haque and Md. Nurun Nabi were present.

In the press conference, the VOCTA placed 19-point proposals to make the budget pro-people including increase budgetary allocations in the education and health sectors.

Khalilur Rahman Sajal said that the scope of black money whitening has now become a ‘farce’. Taking the unethical scope, errant money launderers have been laundering more money. It’s absolutely unethical. It would encourage the money launders to earn more black money. Instead of giving such scopes, the government should take strict actions against the launderers, so that they are compelled to bring their money back. Such a decision would discourage the launderers to launder huge money.

The demands of taking actions against bank loan defaulters, introducing computerized software for keeping statements for using materials, production and marketing in the business entities or factories mandatorily to avert tax dodging and ensuring effective smart audit system were also placed.

Khalilur said country’s people have been suffering for unusual price hike of products and inflation. In this situation, the government must have to put attention that suffering of the people is not increased more after placing budget in the session. The import tax and VAT for importing essential commodities including rice, sugar and edible oil must be kept at a reasonable stage.

He also urged the government to take legal actions against the businessmen and groups involved with market manipulation and syndication for pocketing huge profits by increasing price unethically. To ensure it, strict actions must be taken against the business groups, which are already facing cases of Bangladesh Competition Commission. The government must have to give message to those by taking legal actions.

In the press conference, VOCTA also recommended to take steps for taking projects for creating more employment for the unemployed, continue it cost management policy and continue providing subsidy in agriculture sector including fertilizer despite pressure of the development partners. The demand of reducing medicine price was also placed there.