NBR officials threaten complete shutdown of tax, VAT, customs services

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) Reform Unity Council has announced plans for a "complete shutdown" of income tax, VAT, and customs services from June 28 unless their key demands are met - chiefly the removal of the current NBR chairman and the reversal of recent transfer orders they deem retaliatory.

The announcement was made during a press conference held on Monday outside the NBR headquarters in the capital's Agargaon, where protesting officials donned symbolic white shrouds to highlight the seriousness of their grievances.

If carried out, the shutdown would halt tax and VAT operations nationwide and disrupt customs activities at ports, impacting imports and exports.

However, services related to export processing zones and international passenger clearances will initially continue uninterrupted.

Leading the protest, Additional Commissioner Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabder and Additional Tax Commissioner Sehela Siddiqua accused NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan of pursuing a politically motivated agenda and mismanaging the revenue administration.

They alleged the chairman has fostered division by appointing controversial figures to key posts and has suppressed peaceful protests through threats and administrative reprisals.

The council also claimed that five income tax officials were abruptly transferred for their participation in earlier demonstrations.

They described these transfer orders as violations of civil service rules and acts of intimidation.

These officials have been instructed to report to their new postings by Tuesday and hand over their current responsibilities by Monday.

The NBR Reform Unity Council had set Monday as the deadline to revoke the transfer orders.

If their demands are not met, they plan pen-down strikes and sit-in protests on Tuesday and Wednesday, escalating to a full shutdown from Saturday.

This unrest follows the government's decision in May to split the revenue administration into separate policy and management divisions - a move later reversed.

However, retention of the current chairman continues to fuel discontent among officials.

Protesters further allege they were denied permission to hold a seminar titled "What kind of NBR do we want" and criticise the formation of a six-member committee without their consultation.

They warn that further transfer orders targeting joint and additional commissioners, as well as customs officials, are being prepared, which they say will deepen tensions rather than restore order.

The council cautioned that prolonged disruption could severely impact revenue collection, potentially forcing the government to increase borrowing, which may in turn drive inflation higher and harm the private sector.

newsmanjasi@gmail.com