Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said, “Now is the time for us to bounce back in a fascism-free Bangladesh.” Referring to the government taking charge amid a fragile economy, he said the success of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) would largely determine the government’s ability to formulate and implement its development plans.

The Prime Minister made the remarks as the chief guest at a revenue conference held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital. The conference was jointly organised by the Internal Resources Division of the Ministry of Finance and the NBR.

The Prime Minister said people now expect the NBR to become a reliable and trustworthy institution. In particular, taxpayers want to regard the institution as one they can trust. He said public confidence can be earned through efficient and sustainable revenue management.

Addressing revenue officials, Tarique Rahman said they must take responsibility for meeting taxpayers’ expectations. The government wants to transform the NBR and the country’s revenue structure into a more people-friendly system, he said.

He said the NBR, like other state institutions, could not remain free from the impact of more than a decade and a half of fascist rule and exploitation. The institution was brought into question through patronage based on personal and political interests, disregard for rules, discriminatory treatment and arbitrary revenue collection. These factors contributed to the erosion of public confidence in the NBR. “Now is the time to bounce back in a fascism-free country,” he said.

Highlighting rapid changes in the global economy, the Prime Minister said advances in modern technology, changes in international trade and the emergence of new business models have also transformed revenue management. Revenue officials now need to develop multidimensional skills to address these challenges.

He stressed the importance of acquiring knowledge about the digital economy, e-commerce, transfer pricing, international taxation, trade-related financial crime, money laundering and artificial intelligence.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh’s tax-to-GDP ratio remains well below its potential. Dependence on existing taxpayers must be reduced by identifying people who are capable of paying taxes and bringing them into the tax net. At the same time, the relationship of trust between taxpayers and the revenue administration needs to be strengthened.

He said the objective of modern tax administration should not simply be to collect more taxes, but also to encourage more people to pay taxes voluntarily. Tax management and collection procedures should be simple, corruption-free and free from harassment so that people can pay taxes comfortably.

Tarique Rahman said repeatedly increasing the tax burden on the same taxpayers is not a sustainable way to increase revenue. Instead, those capable of paying taxes should be identified and brought under the tax net through proper procedures. There is no alternative to establishing a modern, digital and data-driven tax administration, he added.

Describing VAT as an important source of revenue in a modern economy, the Prime Minister said steps must be taken to ensure that complexities in VAT management do not hamper businesses. Customs, VAT and income-tax collection should not be based solely on enforcement. Rather, revenue collection becomes easier when taxpayers develop confidence and trust in the revenue administration.

He urged revenue officials to make the NBR a more trusted and dependable institution in the eyes of the people. “The interests of the institution, and above all the interests of the country, must come before personal interests,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the government wants to build a new Bangladesh with everyone and recognises the contribution of every citizen with due respect. Problems will remain, he said, but the government will gradually seek solutions through discussion.

He also said revenue collection had shown positive results from the middle of February to the end of June. This, he said, proves that revenue officials are capable of doing better.

“We all need patriotism and sincerity. Let us work together to build a strong revenue system for the prosperity of Bangladesh,” the Prime Minister said.

The conference formally began with the national anthem, followed by an open discussion on revenue collection. Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance and Planning, Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, also spoke at the event.

After the speeches, the Prime Minister visited various presentations displayed on digital screens at NBR stalls.