eCAB demands tax holiday

E-commerce association Bangladesh (eCAB) today demanded a five to ten years of tax holiday for the sector.

To get relief from a confusion which occurs each year during the time of budget centering the e-commerce sector, we demand a tax holiday of five to ten years, Shomi Kaiser, president of eCAB, said at a press briefing at the national press club in Dhaka this morning.

E-commerce sector has enjoyed tax benefits in all the countries where it is significantly growing or has grown already, Kaiser said adding that for the growth of this sector such tax benefits are essential.

However, regarding the decision to bring Facebook, YouTube and Google under tax net, the eCAB president said that eCAB does not see any problem if it is done through a clear and structured way.

She also thanked the finance ministry for excluding online shopping from the purview of five percent value added tax (VAT) that was proposed on virtual businesses in the budget for FY 2018-19.