Metro rail tickets cost to go up by 15%

A 15% value-added tax (VAT) is expected to be placed on metro rail tickets after June 30.

Since Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali made no comments on extending the VAT waiver after June 30 in the proposed budget for the 2024-25 financial year means that 15% VAT will be levied on metro rail tickets from July 1.

Earlier, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) expressed its plans to introduce a 15% VAT on metro rail tickets in the fiscal year 2025.

The NBR had provided a VAT exemption on metro rail ticket prices in 2023, considering the service was not fully operational and they were to provide the VAT exemption till June this year.

DMTCL recently wrote to NBR to extend the period of VAT exemption, but NBR rejected this application.

Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali presented the proposed budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year amounting to Tk797,000 crore (Tk7.97 trillion) in parliament on Thursday.

This was his first budget unveiling and the first budget after the reelection of the Awami League government in January.