MTB signs two deals with Grameenphone

Mutual Trust Bank (MTB) has recently signed two agreements with Grameenphone (GP) on trading of government securities and bills collection at a function at MTB Centre in the city, said a statement.

Governor asks open help desk in all branches of Bangladesh Bank

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman on Saturday asked all central bank branches across the country to set up ‘Help Desk’ for better service to the people.
He also requested all commercial banks of the country irrespective of local and foreign to set up such ‘Help Desk’ in their branches.

The decision was taken at a meeting as the central bank chief has spent his holiday in the office from 11 am. He also held meeting with the officials of the ‘Help Desk’ of the central bank that would help their customers a lot to get better services.

Dr Atiur told the meeting that the central bank should act more pro-people and expand its services further for the betterment of the people. He also emphasized to increase the standard of the service of the central bank and asked the officials to change their mind set. He said that mobile service should be included to expedite the service of the ‘help desk’.

The government said all banks to give new notes to the customers. He requested all people to lodge their complaints to the Bangladesh bank if they did not get new bank notes from now on.
News Source:
BNN

Dhaka-Chittagong Highway to be 4-lane by June 2013

Construction work for turning Dhaka-Chittagong national highway into four lanes is going on full swing with an auspicious target of finishing the job well ahead of December 2013 deadline. Official sources said 16 percent of this project had already been completed in the past six months after signing of the agreements with three companies on January 10 this year.

"We are expecting that the highway [Dhaka-Chittagong] will be upgraded to four-lane by June 30, 2013, which was earlier scheduled for December 2013," Communication Minister Syed Abul Hossian said. The minister said all hurdles to the major projects in communication sector, including this four-lane highway, Padma Bridge and elevated expressway, were removed at the sincere and effective initiative of the present government to develop the country's infrastructure.

"People will soon see significant development in communication sector as implementation of some projects are going on full swing when some projects in the pipeline are being considered on priority basis", he said.

Chief engineer of Roads and Highways (R&H) Department Shahabuddin said the biggest barrier to the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway development was land accusation, which was sorted out with the active cooperation from local public representatives.

Besides, he said the project involves constructions of six major bridges, three flyovers, two underpasses, 21 small and medium bridges, 196 culverts, 33 steel foot over bridges and six bus stoppages between Daudkandi toll bridge to Chittagong City gate.

Shahabuddin said the contractors had already built 14 culverts and finished clearing and grooving of 92 kilometers of the 192 kilometers highway project and added that 48 more culverts would be built in two months. He said development and maintenance of 26 kilometers of the highway on the part of Chittagong also completed, and the job for the rest 166 kilometers would be done within the next dry season.

News Source:

BSS

NBR to reciept previously evaded tax rise 84 pcNBR to reciept previously evaded tax rise 84 pc

Revenue receipts from previously evaded tax rose 84 percent in fiscal year 2010-11 from earlier year according to a source of National Board of Revenue (NBR). This disclosure came on June 30 when officials of NBRs Central Intelligence Cell presented the revenue collection scenario on the dodged tax to NBR chairman. NBR collected Tk. 103 crore previously evaded tax in 2010-11. Of the amount, income tax collection Tk. 80 crore, VAT Tk 18 crore and import duty Tk. 5 crore. In 2009-10 that was Tk. 56 crore in evaded tax. NBR take a 5 year modernization plan to boost tax collection performance of officers. For the fiscal 2011-12 NBR set target t collect Tk. 91,870 crore in revenues, which is Tk. 16,270 crore more than the last fiscal year's revised budget. Finance Minister reset on June 29 income tax rate at source .7 percent from 1.5 percent in proposed budget. It was .5 percent in 2010-11.