Welcoming budget proposal for the fiscal year 2020-21, women entrepreneurs recommended some measures to make it women friendly. In separate statements on Friday, Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BWCCI) and Women Entrepreneurs Network for Development (WEND) welcomed the budget for placing highest importance to a number of sectors including SME and social safety. BWCCI and WEND, however, demanded to raise the income tax limit to Tk 400,000 and Tk 500,000, respectively. The budget for FY 2020-21 proposed income tax limit to Tk 350,000. The BWCCI demanded continuation of the reserve allocation of Tk 1.0 billion for women entrepreneurs like previous years, waiver of VAT and tax for six-month after resumption of business, reduction of VAT to 4.0 per cent from 15 per cent for women owned business. WEND’s President Dr Nadia Binte Amin welcomed the proposal to reduce personal tax rate from 10 per cent to five per cent but demanded specific directives for women entrepreneurs who are engaged in small and medium enterprises. Both associations also requested the government to consider the upcoming fiscal budget 2020-21 will focus on economic empowerment of women towards the sustainable growth of the country.
