Home ›› 04 Mar 2022 ›› Nation
The Forest Department has increased taxes on different revenue-generating sources of the Sundarbans such as tourism, Golkath, Gewa, Goran, Golpata, Hantal, honey wax, and fuelwood.
However, the worst-hit sector of the newly enforced tax structure is going to be the tourism sector, as the already deflating sector is struggling for survival, experts say.
The new tax rates were published through a communique on February 20 by the Forest Department, which notified the forest conservator, local forest officers and other people concerned to enforce the new tax rates to the concerning sectors as soon as possible.
The arrival of tourists at the Khulna range of the Sundarbans has been on the declining trend already, thanks to the extended tourism bans of the last two years following the Covid-19 outbreak and a lack of sufficient infrastructural development. As a result, revenue earned from the world’s largest mangrove forest decreased substantially.
Whereas the government has long been promising the people involved in the tourism business that they will take initiatives to revamp the industry, experts said the suddenly hiked tax rates would do the opposite.
Protesting the decision, the Tour Operator Association of Sundarban (TOAS) organised a press conference on Sunday (February 27) at the Khulna Press Club and requested the authorities concerned to reconsider their decision and revoke it to help the people who are involved in the tourism business in the region.
Addressing the issue, General Secretary of TOAS and Managing Director of Rupantor Eco-tourism, Nazmul Azam David, told The Business Post that the tour operators had suffered a massive loss during the tourism bans enforced by the government to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the last two years.
“They were hoping to recoup their losses as the Covid-19 restrictions were eased down at the beginning of the year. However, the fuel oil and essentials price hike has made it difficult for them. Now the doubled up tax rates is going to devastate them as it is leaving little to no profit margin for the tour operators,” he said the TOAS official.
Pressing his disappointment and concerns over the sudden decision, Nazmul said that government should have communicated with the people involved in the tourism business before taking such stern measures.
“Most of their tour packages have already been booked by the tourists at earlier prices. Now they would have difficulty communicating with them with the revised price range. There is a high possibility that a good number of tourists would cancel their reservations, which would create a massive financial crisis for the tour operators,” he said.
Md Moinul Islam, president of TOAS and director of Evergreen Eco-tourism, told The Business Post that the government almost doubled up the tourism-related taxes, creating huge dissatisfaction among the domestic and international tourists, which will result in the decrease in the number of tourists visiting the Sundarbans.
Nirmal Kumar Mandal of the Khulna Range (Golpata Koop Officer) of the Sundarbans West Forest Department said, “The government increased the tax rates 11 years ago, back in 2011. It is a normal practice of the Forest Department and essential to derive higher revenues from the sector.
“I do not think that the new tax rates would affect the tourism sector that much. Tourists usually see the overall tour package rates and fix their reservations. However, the tour operators might face a blow for the already reserved packages,” he said.
“The government has already increased tax rates in all sectors to earn more revenues, and the tourism sector is no different than that. I do not think that the new tax rates would affect anyone that much,” Nirmal added.
Khulna range office sources said that in 2011 per person tourism tax was Tk 50, which has been raised to Tk 150 in the current fiscal year. International tourists will have to spend Tk 2,000 a day to visit the Sundarbans, which was Tk 1,000 earlier.
