Integrated income tax act gets cabinet approval

The cabinet has approved in principle a proposal of the Internal Resources Division (IRD) for formulating an integrated income tax law incorporating all…

Muhith reaffirms imposition of 15pc VAT from July 1

Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday reiterated his firm stance regarding imposition of 15 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on goods and services in line with the new VAT and Supplementary Duty Act-2012 to be effective in the upcoming fiscal year from July 1, reports BSS. “It (the new VAT law)…

MNP guidelines awaits finance ministry nod

The amended guideline for mobile number portability (MNP) has been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for the ministry’s approval. Posts and Telecommunications…

ADB board of governors to meet in Japan on May 4-7

The 50th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Board of Governors will be held on May 4-7 at the Pacifico Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan, reports BSS. Over 3,500 finance and development ministers, central bank governors, and other government officials, private sector leaders, development…

Businesspeople for maintaining tax-customs related policies

Businesspeople yesterday demanded maintaining tax and customs related policies for at least five years claiming that frequent change in policies affected business, investment and industrialization, reports BSS. They placed the demand during a pre-budget consultation with National Board of Revenue (NBR)…

Biman offers 20pc off on six int’l routes at BBTTF

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has offered 20 per cent discount on six international routes to boost tourism, reports BSS. The promotional offer will be available during the three-day international tourism fair dubbed “Biman Bangladesh Travel and Tourism Fair (BBTTF)” which is scheduled to begin…

Stocks slightly up with recovery on higher transaction

Stocks were slightly up yesterday with a trend of recovery as the major indices were found finishing upwards with rising participation of investors particularly around the some large-cap stocks reflecting the daily turnover, reports BSS. The daily transactions at the two markets rose considerably.…

United Airlines changes policy after ‘horrific’ passenger ordeal

United Airlines is changing its policy on giving staff last-minute seats on full flights after a man was dragged screaming from an overbooked plane, reports BBC. The airline said that in future crew members would be allocated seats at least an hour before departure. It comes after passenger Dr David…

Saudi seeks 10pc renewable energy in six years

AFP, RIYADH: Saudi Arabia wants 10 per cent of its electricity to come from renewable sources within several years as part of a transformation in its…

Indian Railways to export locos, train sets worth Rs 680cr to Lanka

Indian Railways will supply modern locomotives and train sets worth Rs 680 crore to Sri Lanka, in the largest export order for the public transporter, reports PTI. Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES), a railways PSU, has secured its largest export order from Sri Lanka Railways for the…

China’s first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 to be launched

Xinhua, BEIJING: China’s first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 is to be launched into space between April 20 and 24, according to the office of China’s manned space program. The cargo spacecraft was transferred with a Long March-7 Y2 carrier rocket from the testing center to the launch zone…

Vietnam spends $900m on animal feed imports in Q1

Xinhua, HANOI: Vietnam spent nearly 900 million US dollars on imports of animal feed and materials in the first quarter (Q1) of 2017, up 33.36 per cent year-on-year, according to the Vietnam Customs on Monday. During January-March, Vietnam imported those items from over 20 markets worldwide. Besides…

Singapore external trade up 16.5pc in Mar

Singapore’s non-oil domestic exports (NODX), a key gauge of the export performance of the small and highly open economy, rose 16.5 per cent in March year-on-year, the International Enterprise (IE) Singapore said yesterday, reports Xinhua. The growth was due to the increase in both electronic and…

Asia markets cautious but China growth figures upbeat

AFP, HONG KONG: Asian markets moved cautiously yesterday even as Chinese economic growth data beat expectations, with geopolitical concerns weighing…

Modern life intrudes on Ethiopia’s ancient salt trade

AFP, LAKE ASALE: Every morning, hundreds of men converge on a dry lakebed in a remote corner of Ethiopia, where they cleave the ground open with handaxes to extract salt, just as their fathers and grandfathers once did. They toil under the gaze of a caravan of camels who will carry their salt…

China’s first quarter growth beats expectations at 6.9 per cent

China's economy grew by 6.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2017, according to official figures. The growth rate, which compares expansion…

Cost-effective strategy to promote a startup

Mahbub Hasan, a mid-careerist with three of his colleagues ventured an online shopping store (in the way to be an e-commerce site soon) name khamari.net…