Home
+
Published : 03 Feb 2025, 04:31 AM
The National Board of Revenue, or NBR, has begun issuing notices to individuals who hold a Taxpayer Identification Number, or TIN, but have not filed returns for an extended period, NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan announced.
Speaking at a policy conclave at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on Sunday, he said: “We have started the process. You will notice it when your friends begin receiving tax notices.”
“Some individuals have had a TIN for years, they are alive, they run businesses, yet they do not file returns. We are now addressing this issue,” he added.
The policy conclave, titled “Rational Pricing of Food Products: Exploring Market Supervision Strategies,” was organised by the Daily Bonik Barta.
The NBR chief highlighted the persistent pressure on revenue collection. “The first and foremost challenge is meeting the country’s financial needs.”
“The reality is that Bangladesh has one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios globally—significantly lower than that of neighbouring countries.”
Abdur emphasised the need to expand the tax base, particularly for income tax.
“Our tax net is not as broad as it should be, especially in terms of income tax. The wealthy should be paying income tax, yet our treasury remains heavily reliant on indirect taxes paid by the poor.”
Recalling Bangladesh’s early fiscal history, he noted: “In 1972, when we formulated our first national budget, 90 percent of revenue collection came from taxes paid by the poor.”
“Unfortunately, not much has changed. Even today, two-thirds of our tax revenue comes from indirect taxes, while only one-third is generated from direct income tax.”
NBR has 11.1 million registered taxpayers on record, yet 60 percent of them do not file tax returns and face no repercussions, according to the chairman.
“Those who regularly pay taxes are well known to us, and we exert even more pressure on them. Naturally, they become increasingly frustrated. We want to break out of this cycle,” he said.
Addressing the country's tax-to-GDP ratio, he noted, “Our tax-to-GDP ratio stands at just 7.1 percent. When we discuss borrowing, we often compare our debt as a percentage of GDP with advanced economies and argue that we are in a good position to take on more debt.”
“However, the reality is that developed nations collect nearly 45 percent of GDP in taxes. This gives them a much higher repayment capacity despite having larger debt burdens. In contrast, our national revenue remains critically low—just 7 percent of GDP,” he added.
The policy conclave featured a keynote presentation by Khandaker Golam Moazzem, research director at the Centre for Policy Dialogue, or CPD.
Other speakers included Commerce Advisor Sheikh Bashir Uddin, economist and former Jahangirnagar University professor Anu Muhammad, and Abdur Rahim Khan, additional secretary (exports) at the ministry of commerce, currently serving as acting secretary.
In a panel discussion, regulatory frameworks and government agencies were discussed, among others, by Chairman of the Bangladesh Competition Commission AHAM Ahsan, Chairman (Secretary) of the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission Moinul Khan, Director General of the National Consumer Rights Protection Department Mohammad Aleem Akhtar Khan, and Chairman of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh Brigadier General Mohammad Faisal Azad.
On product imports, supply, and trade matters, Abdul Awal Mintoo, former president of FBCCI, Mustafa Kamal, chairman and MD of Meghna Group of Industries, and Mohammad Mustafa Haider, group director of TK Group, shared their insights.
On domestic financing and trade, Obayed Ullah Al Masud, chairman of Islami Bank Bangladesh, and Syed Mahbubur Rahman, MD and CEO of Mutual Trust Bank, led the discussion.
Speakers from the retail sector included Sabbir Hasan Nasir, managing director of ACI Logistics Limited (Shwapno), and Farid Ahmed Russell, acting president of the Karwan Bazar No 2 Raw Materials Wholesale Market Cooperative Society
The topic of consumer rights was addressed by Umama Fatema, spokesperson for the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, Sarjis Alam, chief organiser of the National Citizens Committee, and SM Najeer Hossain, vice president of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh, or CAB.
