NBR chairman Abdur Rahman Khan said the reform ordinance to separate the National Board of Revenue will be issued soon as the advisory council has approved it.
He was responding to journalists at a seminar titled 鈥楩iscal Issues for National Budget 2025-26 to Foster Economic and Business Growth鈥� held at a hotel in the capital on Sunday.
The seminar was jointly organised by the Foreign Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh, and the Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He also said that necessary amendments will be made based on discussions before the ordinance is implemented, and the finance adviser has provided guidance on this matter.
He called the NBR officials to carry on their service and emphasised that their opinions are important for implementing the ordinance.
鈥楽eparating NBR鈥簊 policy and implementation divisions is one of the conditions of the IMF鈥簊 reform agenda,鈥� he added.
Earlier in April, the advisory council approved an ordinance dividing the NBR into two divisions 鈥� Revenue Policy and Revenue Management.
The NBR officials expressed their concern that the reform process might lead to an increased dominance of the administration cadre within the NBR. Due to the concerns, they held protests in the past week.
He also said that the authorities would instruct the commissioners to set targets regarding tax collection for this year and next year.
鈥楤y doing this, we could understand how much tax has been collected from non-filers and collected from rebate claimants,鈥� he added.
He also said that the government has been given a significant tax exemption, but due to internal and external debt pressure, it is high time to phase out the practice of exemptions.
He said that in the upcoming budget, there will be several initiatives to ease business processes.
In his speech, FICCI president Zaved Akhtar emphasised the need for an integrated tax system to enhance revenue collection while ensuring transparency and efficiency.
He also stressed the importance of distinguishing policy formulation from revenue administration to foster fairness and predictability.
He said that a unified VAT rate, proper classification of raw materials, and the gradual removal of non-tariff barriers are imperatives to strengthen Bangladesh鈥檚 trade competitiveness amid its upcoming LDC graduation.
Highlighting the country鈥簊 potential to attract investment and foster stronger Bangladesh-Japan economic ties, JBCCI president Tareq Rafi Bhuiyan (Jun) said they expected that the upcoming budget would focus on easing business further.
M Masrur Reaz, chairman of Policy Exchange Bangladesh, and chartered accountant聽Snehasish Barua presented the keynote at the event.
Their keynote highlighted the challenges of Bangladesh鈥檚 macroeconomy and the potential of expanding tax nets.
Experts, government officials, and business leaders from FICCI, JBCCI, and ICAB also spoke at the event about expanding the direct tax net in the upcoming budget.
TIM Nurul Kabir, executive director of the FICCI, moderated the event.
