HC stays VAT on English medium schools for 6 months

VAT-on-English-medium-schools

The High Court on Thursday stayed for six months a government decision that imposed 7.5 per cent value added tax on tuition fees of English medium schools.
The court also issued a rule upon the authorities concerned of the government to explain why the decision of imposing the VAT should not be declared illegal.
The high court bench of Justice Shamim Hasnain and Justice Mohammadullah came up with the order and rule in response to a writ petition filed by a student and a guardian of English medium school challenging the legality of the decision.
Secretaries to internal resource division of finance ministry and the education ministry and the chairman of National Board of Revenue are made respondent in the writ.
Jurist Shahdeen Malik stood for the petitioners. He submitted that the imposition of VAT on only English medium schools was discriminatory and violation of articles 15, 17 and 19 of the constitution.
Meanwhile, a group of guardians and students formed a human chain on Sat Masjid Road in Dhanmondi around 11:30am demanding withdrawal of current 7.5 per cent VAT on tuition fees.
Source: New Age