The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has said that all life-saving drugs will be exempted from Value Added Tax (VAT).
“All types of life-saving drugs, including the imported ones, will remain out of VAT net,” said NBR Chairman Md Nojibur Rahman while speaking at a roundtable discussion on ‘VAT in pharmaceutical sector’ on Saturday.
NBR member (VAT) Barrister Jahangir Hossain said there is no possibility of increasing prices of drugs in the local market.
He added that people will not have to pay additional prices for medicine as the drug producers will pay 15 percent VAT as per the new VAT law to be enforced from July 1.
State Minister for Health Zahid Malek said the proposed budget will have no negative impact on the health sector.
“The present government’s prime challenge is to ensure quality health services for the people. The government is working to meet this target,” the state minister said.
Bangladesh Pharmacy Council organised the discussion which was moderated by news director of satellite TV channel 71 Syed Ishtiaque Reza.
Former governor of Bangladesh Bank Farashuddin, BSMMU Vice-chancellor Prof Dr Quamrul Hasan Khan, former vice-chancellor of BSMMU Prof Dr Pran Gopal Dutta, former president of Bangladesh Medical Association Prof Rashid-e Mahbub, former dean of Dhaka University Pharmacy Faculty ABM Faruk, economist Dr Ahmed Al Kabir, vice president of Aushad Shilpa
Samity M Mosadeque Hossain and its former general secretary Dr Momenul Haque also took part in the discussion.
Source: The Daily Ittefaq