Amid an ongoing deadlock at the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the government expressed hope that protesting officials and employees of the tax administration will immediately return to work and refrain from "illegal and anti-national activities," warning that otherwise it will be forced to take strict measures to protect the country’s people and economy.
The interim government clarified its position in a statement issued by the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing on Sunday.
The biggest limitation in managing Bangladesh’s budget and implementing development-oriented activities is the weak revenue collection system, the government said.
Compared to the needs of the state, revenue collection is very low, it added. "The main reasons for this are various weaknesses, irregularities, and corruption in the revenue collection system."
Against this backdrop, the interim government said it decided to restructure the NBR based on the advice of all stakeholders.
It said it has observed with deep concern that, over the past two months, some officials and employees have caused extreme suffering by unlawfully and unethically disrupting the country’s trade, import-export, and revenue collection activities in the name of a movement, obstructing the revenue reform process in an unprecedented and completely unacceptable manner.
"In addition to opposing reforms, they have severely hampered revenue collection during the last two months of the fiscal year. This so-called movement is planned and malicious, and it is extremely contrary to the national interest and citizens’ rights.
"Although the government has clearly announced its willingness to consider the demands of revenue board officials and employees and called for discussions, they have ignored this call. Instead of finding an acceptable solution through dialogue, they have continued to harm the country’s economy by maintaining a rigid stance in the name of a movement.
"In this situation, and in the national interest of maintaining urgent import-export and foreign trade activities, the government has decided to declare all positions under the NBR—including customs houses, ICDs, bond commissionerates, and all categories of customs stations—as essential services."
