Import activities hampered as taxmen extend strike

Protesting officials and employees of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) yesterday vowed to continue their pen-down strike today to press home their three-point demand, including the repeal of a new ordinance on restructuring the revenue administration.

The other demands are for the public disclosure of a state advisory committee's report on reforms required for the NBR, which was submitted to the finance ministry, and inclusive, consultative and sustainable reforms for the revenue administration.

The strike, led by "NBR Reform Unity Council", a platform of cadre and non-cadre officials, is in protest of a recently-issued ordinance for the dissolution of the NBR's existing structure.

Amid the ongoing strike, revenue activities—including import and export—have been disrupted nationwide, posing a serious risk to overall revenue collection and causing significant setbacks for regular business operations.

For example, customs clearance of imported consignments at Chattogram Custom House on Wednesday dropped by nearly half of that on the day before, according to data from the customs authority.

On Tuesday, 3,460 import bills of entry were processed, whereas the number fell to 1,874 on Wednesday – the first day of the strike. It stood at 1,897 on Thursday.

On Saturday, customs activities remained suspended until 3:00pm due to the ongoing strike, officials said.

A visit to Chattogram Custom House on Saturday revealed near-complete inactivity at the customs assessment sections. Most desks were found empty, and representatives of importers were seen standing with files in hand, waiting for officers who were absent.

As per regulations, no consignment can be cleared without assessment and examination by customs officials.

The strike has also brought operations at the Chattogram VAT office, export processing zone customs, and the customs bond commissionerate to a halt.

"Assessment and examination activities at the custom house have remained suspended due to the pen-down strike. No official is carrying out these duties," said Mohammad Saidul Islam, deputy commissioner of Chattogram Custom House.

However, export services and airport operations remain unaffected, he added.

At a press briefing yesterday, NBR Reform Unity Council called for resolving the ongoing deadlock through discussions. They also called on Chief Adviser of the interim government Prof Muhammad Yunus to intervene and issue necessary directives.

"We are waiting for the government to initiate dialogue with us under the guidance of the chief adviser. The door for discussion has always been open on our part—and it will remain so," said Nipun Chakma, deputy commissioner of customs.

"We urge the government to make the NBR Reform Committee's recommendations public," said Md Asaduzzaman, joint commissioner of taxes.

"While we are in favour of reforms, they must be practical, reflect the views of all stakeholders, and properly value the expertise and experience of NBR officials and employees," he said.

At the briefing, NBR Reform Unity Council sincerely apologised for the temporary inconvenience caused to taxpayers and service seekers.

"We believe that this temporary sacrifice will play an active role in serving the greater interest of the country and its people, as well as in ensuring sustainable reform of the revenue system," said the platform's representatives.

"Additionally, we want to make it clear that, if our demands are met, we will work beyond regular office hours to complete any pending tasks," they said.

Based on the opinions of the general members, the unelected executive committee of the BCS Taxation Association has been declared illegal and dissolved, according to the platform.

On the other hand, as almost all members of the Executive Committee of the BCS Customs and VAT Association have resigned, it has also become ineffective.

In a statement, BCS Taxation Association said all activities of the organisation have been suspended indefinitely.

As before, international passenger services, export activities, and preparations for the national budget will remain out of the purview of today's strike.

Protesting officials are expected to announce fresh programmes at a press conference scheduled to be held at 3pm.