Revenue Rises After Mandatory Online Tax Returns: NBR Chairman
Revenue collection has increased since the submission of tax returns was made mandatory online, according to Mohammad Abdur Rahman Khan, Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR). Based on the data he shared, around 4.7 million taxpayers have completed online registration to submit returns, of whom approximately 3.45 million have already filed their returns. Revenue collected directly through online returns has reached about BDT 4.3 billion, compared to roughly BDT 1.7 billion last year.
The NBR Chairman disclosed these figures at a “Meet the Press” programme organised at the NBR building in Agargaon on Sunday, 25 January, marking International Customs Day.
Responding to a question on overall revenue collection at the press conference, the NBR Chairman said that although there is some gap due to the challenging nature of the targets, overall growth has not been unsatisfactory. “Since making online returns mandatory, our revenue collection has increased,” he said.
He also expressed hope that during the final phase, between 100,000 and 150,000 returns could be submitted daily. If necessary, the possibility of extending the deadline would also be considered, he added.
Rejecting claims of increased customs duties over the past one and a half years, Abdur Rahman Khan said that no tariffs have been raised during this period to boost tax collection. “On the contrary, in the public interest, we have reduced duties on the import of rice, onions, potatoes, and soybean oil,” he said. “We never thought that lowering these duties would reduce revenue so sharply. We did it because it was necessary for public interest.”
According to him, the primary reason behind rising prices of imported goods, including fruits, is the increase in the value of the US dollar, not taxes or duties. Responding to questions about high taxes on fruit imports, he said misinformation exists in some cases. “We have not increased duties on fruits over the past one and a half years. In fact, the income tax on fruit imports was reduced from 10 percent to 5 percent. Similarly, duties on date imports have been significantly reduced,” he explained.
Elaborating on rising commodity prices, the NBR Chairman said the recent adjustment in the dollar exchange rate is a major factor behind inflation in Bangladesh. “The dollar price has increased by nearly 40 percent. Two years ago, the dollar was priced at around BDT 80–85, whereas it now stands at approximately BDT 126–127,” he said. “As a result, the cost of importing any product has naturally increased. This is the biggest reason behind price hikes of imported goods.”
He further said the government is moving towards rationalising the overall tariff structure. A report on tariff transformation, which includes recommendations for reducing duties, has already been submitted to the Chief Adviser. After graduating from LDC status, Bangladesh will no longer be able to maintain a high tariff structure, he noted.
However, the NBR Chairman acknowledged that in certain cases, duties are increased to protect domestic industries.
Regarding the decision to split the NBR into two separate entities, he said work is underway to separate management and policy formulation functions. Committee meetings, gazette notifications, and finalisation of the organisational structure will be completed soon. While the task is challenging, he expressed optimism that progress would be made before the national election.
DBTech/BM/EK/OR
