Dhaka: Former National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Dr. Muhammad Abdul Mazid today emphasized the necessity of comprehensive automation at the revenue board to enhance the tax-GDP ratio in the country. Mazid, who is also a member of the Advisory Committee on NBR reforms, hopes that such automation could potentially resolve around 60 percent of the issues currently faced by the NBR.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Dr. Mazid also suggested reforms to the revenue collection law, which has been in place for 53 years, to empower the revenue board with more authority. He proposed forming a committee comprising experienced and skilled individuals to facilitate these reforms.
Dr. Mazid’s remarks were made during a roundtable discussion organized by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB) and the Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF) at the CA Bhaban in the capital. The discussion was presided over by ICAB President Maria Howlader and moderated by ICAB CEO Subhashish Bose. Other notable speakers included former NBR Chairman Dr. Nasiruddin Ahmed, former NBR members Md. Farid Uddin and Aminur Rahman, and senior research fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Towfiqul Islam Khan.
During the discussion, Dr. Nasiruddin stressed the importance of corporate governance for effective tax collection. He advocated for a business-friendly tax policy that ensures continuity. Towfiqul Islam Khan highlighted the need for long-term reforms or new amendments to the NBR, emphasizing the importance of digitalization to prevent tax evasion.
Dr. Masrur Reaz pointed out that taxpayers are generally willing to pay taxes but face various complexities. He suggested creating a unique number for taxpayers and providing transparency about tax utilization to improve tax collection rates. Reaz recommended an ‘integrated digitalized’ tax collection system to address these issues.
Jamal Uddin added that increasing tax collection is crucial for economic momentum. He noted that several Asian countries, including Mongolia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia, have achieved complete digitalization in tax collection, whereas Bangladesh lags behind. Uddin stressed the need for Bangladesh to adopt similar practices to resolve existing problems.