Land tax automation will bring qualitative changes to economy

Through the online-based land development tax system, people can pay taxes from any place at a low cost and in a short time via mobile or online banking or any other electronic method. This will significantly reduce hassle, Land Secretary Md Muksodur Rahman Patwary said on Monday.

If people do not need to pay land taxes by appearing at the office, the number of people travelling in this regard will come down significantly, which in turn will save huge working hours nationally, he said.

This approach will have a positive impact on the overall gross domestic product (GDP) of the country, thus bringing qualitative change to the economy, he added.

The secretary made the remarks while presenting the keynote address at a workshop titled Challenges and Ways to Implement Online-Based Land Development Tax Management Software to Build Digital Bangladesh, at the conference room of the Ministry of Land, reads a press release.

Underscoring the need for honesty as an innate aspect of human behaviour, Muksodur Rahman said, “Providing efficient, transparent, accountable, and people-friendly land services is also our innate responsibility as public servants.”

Chairman of the Land Reform Board Md Yakub Ali Patwary, who moderated the workshop, said the field-level training on online land development tax system will be completed by December 10.

The system will be fully operational across the country by March next year after scrutiny, he informed the workshop attended by government officials concerned.

It is to be noted that 62,105 holdings of 19 mouzas (small administrative districts) have been updated in the first phase of the land development tax management software piloting programme.

The total number of holdings in the country is about three and a half crores, adds the release.