Misconception cleared, NBR to remain dissolved: Fin adviser after meeting protesting officials 

The "misconception" between the interim government advisers and the National Board of Revenue officials has been cleared, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said today (20 May), with the finance ministry now set to work on the issue.

Ahmed made the statement after the meeting with NBR officials at the Secretariat, but refused to make further comments on the 
matter.

The adviser said, "The demands made by the NBR officials will be fulfilled as much as possible while formulating the rules for the two new departments."

He also declared that there will be no more formal meetings with the NBR officials on this issue. "There is an advisory committee on this issue, and the NBR officials will discuss it with that committee.

The adviser responded positively when asked whether the meeting was fruitful.

Replying to a question on when the two new departments will start operating, he said, "A gazette needs to be published first. There is more work to be done even before that."

When asked how long it might take to finish the preparatory works, he said it would not be possible before the budget.

Responding to a question whether the NBR officials were satisfied with the meeting, the adviser said, "We asked them to withdraw the strike. It won't really matter to me what they have to say about it."

Meanwhile, NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman said the finance adviser and other advisers have listened to what the board officials had to say regarding the recent dissolution of the revenue board. 

He, however, also did not provide any details as to the contents of the discussion between the advisers and NBR officials.

Another official, who was present at the meeting, said the NBR will issue a press statement regarding the outcomes of the meeting.

Aside from Adviser Salehuddin, Energy Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan, Environment Adviser Syed Rizwana Hasan, and several other senior officials of the NBR and the finance ministry were present at the meeting.
The meeting took place as NBR officials have been observing a pen-down protest following the government's decision to dissolve the NBR, breaking it into two divisions – the Revenue Policy Division (RPD) and the Revenue Management Division (RMD).

On the night of 12 May, a notification was issued passing an ordinance on this matter, sparking protests.

Protesting officials say the ordinance issued in this regard had deprived officials of the tax and customs cadres.

The finance adviser vowed to complete the full restructuring of the revenue board by December. 

He noted that while the organogram might take slightly longer, the policy division would be streamlined.

Speaking to TBS yesterday, he dismissed the NBR officials' demand for a legal guarantee that the secretary must be from their cadre.

"During vetting, the law ministry said the draft would not pass if cadre specificity was included for the secretary post. In practice, most NBR secretaries have come from the admin cadre.
"How many NBR secretaries have actually come from customs, VAT or income tax cadres?" he explained.

"NBR officials are demanding that both secretaries be from their cadre. That's not feasible," the adviser concluded on the matter.
"There's a strike and protest at NBR. But we won't compromise. In 2008, NBR officials also tried to resist reform. Customs officials then blocked automation. Had we separated automation and management back then, the revenue situation would be much better today," he also said.