Country’s private universities have urged the government to abolish the proposed supplementary duty on mobile phone voice and data services in new budget considering the best interest of the students of private universities.
The Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB) in a press release signed by its Chairman Sheikh Kabir Hossain on Monday also called upon the government for a block allocation in the budget for FY 2020-‘21 to provide financial assistance to the universities in an effort to ensure salaries and allowances for their teachers and staffers.
The new budget for the next fiscal proposes to raise supplementary duty on mobile phone services, which include voice and data, to 15% from the existing 10%.
“We believe that the costlier mobile internet will add to the burden of students, who are now taking classes online,” the press release read.
The APUB, therefore, has urged the government to introduce affordable internet packages to students for educational purposes. Such special package, like the ones for other subscribers, can be offered to the students through their universities.
It also mentioned that they have already forwarded a proposal on the matter to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the release said, businesses are being interrupted and education systems are going through a transformation across the world.
“Amid such a situation, a block allocation will help the universities ensure that the faculty and other staff are not adversely affected due to any temporary shortage of funds. We have already submitted an application to this effect to the Finance Minister and earnestly request kind consideration of it again now,” the APUB said.
The release added, “We are confident that the country will overcome the crisis under the leadership of our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. But we also have to keep in mind that only the countries with skilled manpower will be able to bounce back in a post-coronavirus world.”
The APUB also hopes that as the daughter of Bangabandhu, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is leading this people-friendly budget for the welfare of the nation, will consider the following proposals for the sake of the students.Theindependentbd
