Govt dissolves NBR advisory committee
However, members of the committee expressed surprise at the move, saying their work was not yet complete.
The interim government has dissolved the five-member advisory committee formed to initiate reforms in the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
According to a notification issued today (28 September), the activities of the NBR reform advisory committee have been terminated due to the promulgation of the Revenue Policy and Revenue Management Ordinance 2025.
However, members of the committee expressed surprise at the move, saying their work was not yet complete. They claimed they were still preparing a report to submit to the government.
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The committee, formed on 9 October 2024, included two former NBR chairman: Muhammad Abdul Mazid and Nasiruddin Ahmed. The other members were Delwar Hossain, Aminur Rahman, and Farid Uddin, all former members of the taxes and customs divisions.
One key member, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Business Standard, "Ending the committee's activities suddenly makes it seem that NBR split was the government's sole objective."
He noted that the committee's terms of reference included five areas of reform — not only NBR separation but also ways to strengthen the reform process, boost revenue collection, enhance stakeholder engagement, and modernise the revenue system.
"But the committee was dissolved before we could provide recommendations on reforms beyond the split. Nevertheless, we will submit our draft report to the relevant authorities," he added.
NBR Chairman and IRD Secretary Abdur Rahman Khan could not be reached for comment despite multiple attempts.
While most government reform committees are formed by cabinet division orders, this particular body was constituted by an IRD order. Moreover, the government has yet to make public the recommendations the committee had already submitted on NBR split.
