SC vacates HC stay on VAT collection from English medium schools

Students of English medium schools and their guardians form human chain at Sat Masjid Road in the capital’s Dhanmondi area on Thursday demanding withdrawal of current 7.5 per cent value-added tax on tuition fees. – New Age photo

The Appellate Division on Wednesday vacated a High Court stay on realising value added tax on tuition fees of English medium schools for eight weeks.
The vacation judge in chamber Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order responding to an appeal filed by the National Board of Revenue.
After the rule, deputy attorney general SM Moniruzzman said now there would be no bar on realising VAT on tuition fees of English medium schools.
The High Court bench of Justice Shamim Hasnain and Justice Mohammadullah on September 17 had stayed for six months a government decision that imposed 7.5 per cent value added tax on tuition fees of English medium schools in response to a writ petition filed by two guardians of English medium school students challenging the legality of the decision.
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.
Jurist Shahdeen Malik, standing for the petitioners on the day, had submitted that the imposition of VAT on only English medium schools was discriminatory and violation of articles 15, 17 and 19 of the constitution.

Source: New Age