Govt to amend NBR ordinance
In the face of turmoil amid continued protest by employees, the government yesterday backtracked from its position and stated it would bring "required amendments" to the new ordinance that split the National Board of Revenue.
It will consult the NBR and other important stakeholders before bringing the changes to the ordinance on tax reform, the finance ministry said in a statement.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. "Since implementation of the ordinance is time-consuming after bringing the required revision, activities of the NBR will continue, and officials of customs and income tax cadres will accomplish their duties," the ministry said, urging the protesters to withdraw their ongoing strike.
The statement came hours after the protesters submitted a memorandum to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, pressing a four-point demand that includes repeal of the ordinance bifurcating the NBR and the resignation of its Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan.
The protesters say they are not opposed to the separation itself, but their principal grievance lies in a clause that allows civil servants from the general administration cadre to lead the two new divisions, sidelining experienced officers from the revenue cadre.
The ministry statement said the government has no plan to reduce the number of member posts for customs and tax cadres at the NBR. On the contrary, the number of posts for them is expected to increase after the implementation of the reforms, it added.
The protesting NBR employees welcomed the government's move in a statement late at night, but vowed to resume their protests on Saturday.
They said their core demands, such as the repeal of the ordinance and the resignation of the chairman, were not touched upon in the government statement.
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