The protesting officials of the National Board of Revenue will continue their ongoing ‘pen-down strike’ today from 10:00am to 03:00pm, demanding revocation of a lately promulgated ordinance to split the revenue board.
Protesting for the fourth day on the day, they also refused to sit in a meeting with the finance adviser.
On Sunday afternoon, the protesters under NBR Sangskar Oikya Parishad (NBR reform unity council) said that they were no longer interested in meeting solely with the finance adviser, stressing that more advisers must join the negotiations.
The same day, the revenue board public relations officer said that the finance adviser would meet the protesting NBR officials on May 20.
But the protesting officers claimed that they did not receive any formal communication about the meeting.
Sehela Siddiqua, deputy commissioner of taxes at the NBR, told reporters that they were not officially notified about the meeting with the finance adviser.
‘We are open to discuss with the finance adviser but other advisers must be with him,’ she added.
The protesters also said that corruption watchdog Transparency International Bangladesh already questioned the ordinance and recommended forming of an autonomous body instead of dissolving the revenue board.
They also demanded public disclosure of the NBR Reform Advisory Committee’s report, and comprehensive reform of the revenue system through effective consultations with stakeholders.
The protesters said that their duties related to air passengers, exports and the coming budget were exempted during the strike.
Earlier on May 12, the interim government promulgated an ordinance dissolving the revenue board and splitting it into two divisions under the finance ministry in a move to modernise the tax administration and boost revenue collection.
The ordinance was approved by President Mohammed Sahabuddin and signed by law secretary Hafiz Ahmed Chowdhury.
The divisions to be created are ‘Revenue Policy Division’ and ‘Revenue Management Division’, in keeping with the International Monetary Fund’s key condition of separating tax policy from tax administration.
NBR officials have opposed the decision since the council of advisers approved the draft ordinance in April to split the board.
