Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), Md Abdur Rahman Khan, has said that revenue collection will certainly exceed last year’s figures. However, he acknowledged that progress in recent days has faced setbacks compared to expectations.
He made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the NBR headquarters on Monday (30 June).
For the past week, the NBR Reform Unity Council had been staging protests demanding the chairman’s removal. Following strict measures taken by the government, the organization withdrew its movement on Sunday. On Monday, the NBR chairman spoke to the media for the first time since the protests ended.
“As of 10:00 am today, our revenue collection stands at Tk 3,60,922 crore,” he said. “We will receive the report of today's treasury deposits tomorrow. Additionally, there are tax and VAT bills from government projects that take some time to reconcile. Normally, the June closing takes a bit longer — it may take two to three weeks to finalize the figures.”
The chairman further stated that the current revenue reporting system is automated and no longer manual. “We report collections through the iBAS system,” he added.
Acknowledging that the recent protests disrupted business activities, he said, “Revenue collection has taken a hit. However, there is still time today. Officers are making efforts. Tax officials have a plan — they know who the taxpayers are and who typically file returns at the end of the year. All offices and banks are open today.”
“I believe a significant amount will be deposited today (Monday). Once the government bills are adjusted, it is certain that collections will surpass last year’s figures. There will be a certain level of growth — possibly close to what we expected. Still, we will launch another drive in July to bring the remaining collections into the treasury. The government needs funds in July, and our operations will continue as usual,” he added.
Addressing officials, he urged, “Whatever happened, let us move on and work together in the interest of the nation. Let’s fulfill our responsibilities. I hope we won’t face such issues again. Revenue officers have shown dedication and competence in the past, and I believe they will continue to do so.”
He also said that momentum has returned to the NBR. “Customs houses resumed work yesterday afternoon. The work stoppage has been withdrawn, which has brought relief to everyone — especially the business community and policymakers. All our offices have been functioning since morning with full attendance. All customs houses, ICDs, VAT, and tax offices are operating. Since today is June 30 — the last day of the fiscal year — we are conducting a major drive. There is a continuous effort to bring all pipeline revenue into the treasury,” he said.
Earlier, citing financial losses to trade and commerce and considering the broader national interest, NBR officials announced the withdrawal of their complete shutdown. The announcement was made at a press conference held at the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, at 9:30 pm on Sunday (June 29) by leaders of the NBR Reform Unity Council.