BANGLADESH

Two bills to tax salaries of the speaker and other members of parliament were presented in parliament on Monday.

The bills are The Speaker and Deputy Speaker (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Act 2012 and The Member of Parliament (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Act 2012.

State minister for law Qamrul Islam presented the bills on behalf of law, justice and parliamentary affairs minister Shafique Ahmed.

These bills have been sent to the parliamentary standing committee on the law, justice and parliament affairs which will submit a report within 15 days after scrutiny.

If the bills are passed, they laws will take retroactive effect from July 1 of the previous year.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina had announced in the last budget session of parliament that salaries of ministers, state ministers, deputy ministers, and MPs will no more remain tax-free.

The cabinet approved the bills on Nov 28 last year in a step towards implementing that announcement.

Generally, everyone's income beyond a certain range is taxable. But, in line with a 1973 act, lawmakers' remunerations are above taxation and so are the parliament speaker and deputy speakers' in line with another law framed in 1974.

The taxation system has long discriminated in favour of MPs. The bills have been presented to remove the disparity.