Sat, Jul 31st, 2010 8:18 pm BdST

Chittagong, July 31 (bdnews24.com) – Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith has said that the government will amend the money laundering act in the next parliamentary session.

The finance minister was briefing journalists after a meeting with the customs, VAT and tax officials at the Chittagong Circuit House on Saturday noon.

"It is very difficult to bring back money smuggled out of the county with the prevailing act. Thus the money laundering act will be amended in the next parliamentary session."

The finance minister said that the government will also amend the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Replying to a query Muhith said, "The current government is friendly to the poor and the rural areas. We want development of the poor for our own sake. So the government is trying to turn a market of three crore people into one of seven crore people."

The finance minister said that Sep 30 was the last date to pay income tax and the government will not extend the deadline.

Praising the initiatives of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to collect revenues last year, he said, "It is possible to collect more revenues than the target if the people behind are sincere."

Last year the NBR collected Tk 79,484 crore revenues against a target of Tk 79,461 crore.

Stressing on the development of public relations of the customs and tax department, the finance minister said that people would be encouraged to pay taxes if their mentality changed.

In the meeting the customs and tax officials spoke of their problems including manpower shortage.

Among others, Chittagong Customs Commissioner (import) Syed Golam Kibria, commissioner (export) Jamal Hossain, additional bond commissioner Matiur Rahman, Chittagong unit tax commissioner Ramendra Chandra Basak spoke in the meeting.