Action will be taken only against officials who 'crossed the line': NBR chairman

Action will be taken only against officials who "crossed the line" during recent protests, but there is no reason for others to worry if they are fulfilling their duties properly, National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan said today.

Speaking to reporters after inspecting operations at the Dhaka Customs House at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, he said, "Were only five officials involved in the protests? If action had been taken against everyone, the damage would have been far greater – which hasn't happened."

Since mid-May, NBR officials had been protesting the government's decision to dissolve the board through an ordinance. As part of the movement, customs houses across the country were shut down on 28 and 29 June under a "complete shutdown" programme.

On the night of 29 June, protesting officials withdrew their "complete shutdown" hours after the interim government declared revenue and customs jobs as "essential services" and warned of stern action if officials failed to return to work.

So far, five NBR officials have been sent into forced retirement, while the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched investigations against at least 16 others.

"The steps that have been taken reflect a policy decision of the government," the NBR chairman added.

He further said that personal or group interests must not override the interests of the state, and that customs operations must remain uninterrupted at all costs.

Automated challan system introduced

The NBR chairman said an automated challan system has been introduced in customs houses, enabling import payments to be made anytime through any bank or mobile financial service (MFS) platform. These payments will be deposited directly into the government treasury, he added.

To speed up clearance of goods under the baggage rules, a new software system has also been launched, the NBR chairman said.

"Expatriates will now be allowed to bring up to 10 bhori of gold jewellery per year without paying tax," he said.

"In addition, regular passengers can bring in one mobile phone duty-free annually, while BMET-registered migrant workers will be allowed to bring in two."

He also said a new software has been developed to update online the status of detained goods at airports, based on the detention memo.

He further said that the NBR has collected Tk 3,68,177 crore in revenue for the last fiscal year, according to preliminary data, and the figure is expected to increase.