Govt to form multistakeholder reform committee

The government has decided to form a multistakeholder reform committee aimed at enhancing the country's tax-to-GDP ratio. Economists, trade experts, business leaders, civil society members, and journalists are expected to be included as committee members.

The move comes after the dissolution of the previous National Board of Revenue (NBR) reform committee, which comprised only former NBR chairmen and senior officials.

A top government official said the earlier committee had completed its main task, which was to suggest the bifurcation of NBR. Members of the dissolved committee are still welcome to submit their final reports.

The official noted that the previous committee had already submitted an interim report recommending the separation of the policy wing from implementation before the relevant ordinance was issued. Some of these recommendations have already been adopted by the government.

Addressing allegations that the earlier committee's recommendations were sidelined, the official clarified that there was no commitment to implement all suggestions.

"The previous committee included only retired NBR officials, and other stakeholders were not represented," he said, admitting that the decision had been hurried.

He added that the earlier committee's mandate had several shortcomings, including the absence of a convener, a submission timeline, and a designated reporting point.

Farid Hossain, a member of the dissolved committee, welcomed the formation of the multistakeholder reform panel, noting that broader expert involvement could strengthen revenue reform.

However, he expressed concern that the new committee might propose reforms similar to those already suggested by the previous panel. Bangladesh's tax-to-GDP ratio remains one of the lowest in the world, having slipped 0.4 percentage points in recent years, underscoring the

need for comprehensive reforms.

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