Activities at NBR resume after two-week disruption

After nearly two weeks of disruption, activities at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) resumed today as officials returned to work following government assurances to meet their demands over the new tax reform ordinance.

Roisun Nesa, deputy commissioner of the NBR, said that the NBR officials started work in full swing. 

The NBR Reform Unity Council, a platform of protesting NBR officials, initially began a pen-down strike on May 14, demanding repeal of the ordinance issued on May 12. 

Beginning with pen down strike, officials abstained from work on Saturday and Sunday, severely affecting overseas trade-related services and revenue activities.

The council withdrew the programme following a government pledge to transform the board into a "specialised and autonomous agency" rather than dissolving it.

Despite returning to work, the protesting officials demanded the removal of the NBR chairman by May 29, citing what they described as a 'severe crisis of trust and confidence in his leadership.'

At a press briefing today, the platform said it would continue its non-cooperation with the chairman until the demand is met.

"We hope that, in the larger interest of the state and the people, the government will assign full-time responsibility to an officer with knowledge, skills and practical work experience in tax-revenue policy formulation, collection, and management," the council said in a press release.