Dhaka: The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has decided to increase the number awards for the taxpayers who have long been paying the highest tax alongside raining facilities for them.

The NBR decided to introduce two more categories — female and under-40 highest taxpayers — for giving the award, aiming to encourage them and motivate others.

The NBR, meanwhile, has taken a plan to amend the policy for awarding the district-based highest and longest income taxpayers.

Currently, the NBR is awarding three highest income taxpayers and two longest income taxpayers from each district and city corporation. ‘We’ve planned to give the highest honour and privileges to taxpayers through amending the policy that was formulated in 2008,’ an NBR senior official told UNB.

There is also a proposal to increase the number of tax cards for the taxpayers from 50 to 57 at the individual level.

These cardholders will get privileges in government hospitals, airlines and other public transports, and to be invited to state programmes, the NBR official said. They will also be able to use the CIP (commercially important person) lounges at airports.

Besides, the dependents — wife/husband, sons and daughters, of the cardholders — will get special privileges for availing of cabins at public hospitals.

The validity of this card is one year and then it has to be returned to the NBR.

The NBR’s income-tax wing has formed a six-member committee to prepare a draft of the tax-card policy through amendment to the existing one framed in 2010.

Income tax policy member Parvez Iqbal is the convener of the committee that also comprises tax commissioner Sanjit Kumar Biswas, additional commissioner GM Abul Kalam Kaikobad, first secretaries Shamimur Rahman and Shabbir Ahmad and second secretary Zahedul Islam.

Talking to UNB, another NBR official said such award always encourages the taxpayers for paying their due taxes in time. ‘We’ve to encourage people to pay their due taxes in time,’ he added.