The cabinet on Thursday approved amendment to the revenue sector overhauling ordinance, specifying that public officials having experience in the revenue and related areas would lead the two divisions created through the restructuring.
The approval was given to the Revenue Policy and Revenue Management (Amendment) Ordinance at the regular meeting of the council of advisers.
Earlier on May 12, the government had issued the Revenue Policy and Revenue Management Ordinance, 2025, spitting the National Board of Revenue into the two divisions 鈥� the Revenue Policy Division and the Revenue Management Division.
The ordinance had witnessed stiff protests from revenue officials for nearly one and a half months since its issuance, which prompted the government to amend it.
According to the amended ordinance, government officials having experience in macro-economy, trade policies, planning and revenue policy and management will be appointed as secretary to the Revenue Policy Division.
Before the amendment, the ordinance had stated that the government could appoint any suitable government official as secretary to the division.
The amended ordinance also said that government officials having experience in revenue collection would be appointed as sectary to the Revenue Management Division.
Before the amendment, the government officials having experience in revenue collection could get preference in appointing as secretary to the division.
The government has made 11 changes in the ordinance.
The approval of the amended ordinance came at the advisory council鈥檚 meeting chaired by chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the Chief Adviser鈥檚 Office at Tejgaon in the capital Dhaka.
Following the meeting, Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser, told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy, 鈥楾he government in the ordinance specified that subdivisions of both the divisions would also be staffed with government officials possessing relevant expertise.鈥�
The other significant amendments are the experienced officials would be appointed to the posts in subdivisions dealing with income tax policy, double taxation avoidance agreements, international treaties and opinions, customs policy, value-added tax policy and global trade and customs agreements.
The amended ordinance also added a subsection, stating that the posts in subdivisions of the Revenue Policy Division might be filled by officials or individuals experienced in public administration, economics, trade policy, research and statistics, audit and accounts, ICT applications and legislative drafting.
The interim government issued the ordinance with the aim of modernising the country鈥檚 revenue system amid poor revenue collection.
However, NBR officials had held protest programmes, including pen-down strike, sit-in and non-cooperation, against the restructuring of the revenue board.
On May 25, the government announced plans to amend the ordinance by July 31.
The protesting NBR officials conducted a march to the NBR and a 鈥榗omplete shutdown鈥� in June 28-29, disrupting business and revenue collection.
In response, the interim government declared NBR services 鈥榚ssential鈥� on June 29, leading to the withdrawal of the officials鈥� protests.
In the aftermath of the protests, 32 NBR officials were suspended, four senior officials were sent into early retirement and 16 officials were brought under the scrutiny of the Anti-Corruption Commission. Nearly 200 officials faced transfers.
The suspended officials have been made 鈥榦fficers on special duty鈥�.
Amid the protests, a review committee headed by power, energy, and mineral resources adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan was formed on June 29.
The amendments have been made based on the recommendations of the committee, officials said.