Customs, tax admn to undergo major modernisation soon
Thursday, 4 October 2007
S M Jahangir
The entire customs and tax administration under the National Board of Revenue (NBR) will undergo major upgradation and modernisation from the next financial year.
The government in association with the World Bank (WB) is set to launch a programme styled "Revenue Administration Modernisation Project (RAMP) in order to make its revenue collection process time-bound and effective.
"Process is on to launch the RAMP in order to bring efficiency and dynamism in the entire customs administration," a senior National Board of Revenue (NBR) official said.
The official further said the multilateral development agency - WB - has assured the government of providing necessary fund for the initiative.
A top official of the World Bank's Bangladesh Mission recently told the FE that the fund ranging between $70 million and $80 million could be made available for the proposed RAMP.
"We have agreed in principle to finance the proposed project, which is now at the negotiation stage," said the WB official.
A senior NBR official, however, said the Board is preparing the project document.
"If everything goes according to the plan, the proposed project will kick off by July next," he said, adding the government is expected to sign the funding agreement with the WB within the next few months.
Bringing about major structural changes in the tax administration, simplification of revenue collection procedures and development of human resource are high among the project agenda, the official mentioned.
He also said the RAMP aims to build up the capacity of the revenue administration through upgrading the skills of tax officials.
According to officials, all the wings - Income Tax, Customs and Value Added Tax (VAT) - along with the NBR itself will come under the proposed modernisation project.
They, however, said the proposed RAMP will be a follow-up of the existing 'Modernisation and Automation Project', which was launched earlier for enhancing the administrative capacity of the NBR.
Pursued by major multilateral donors including the WB, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB), the government previously undertook various reform programmes for its tax administration.
The entire customs and tax administration under the National Board of Revenue (NBR) will undergo major upgradation and modernisation from the next financial year.
The government in association with the World Bank (WB) is set to launch a programme styled "Revenue Administration Modernisation Project (RAMP) in order to make its revenue collection process time-bound and effective.
"Process is on to launch the RAMP in order to bring efficiency and dynamism in the entire customs administration," a senior National Board of Revenue (NBR) official said.
The official further said the multilateral development agency - WB - has assured the government of providing necessary fund for the initiative.
A top official of the World Bank's Bangladesh Mission recently told the FE that the fund ranging between $70 million and $80 million could be made available for the proposed RAMP.
"We have agreed in principle to finance the proposed project, which is now at the negotiation stage," said the WB official.
A senior NBR official, however, said the Board is preparing the project document.
"If everything goes according to the plan, the proposed project will kick off by July next," he said, adding the government is expected to sign the funding agreement with the WB within the next few months.
Bringing about major structural changes in the tax administration, simplification of revenue collection procedures and development of human resource are high among the project agenda, the official mentioned.
He also said the RAMP aims to build up the capacity of the revenue administration through upgrading the skills of tax officials.
According to officials, all the wings - Income Tax, Customs and Value Added Tax (VAT) - along with the NBR itself will come under the proposed modernisation project.
They, however, said the proposed RAMP will be a follow-up of the existing 'Modernisation and Automation Project', which was launched earlier for enhancing the administrative capacity of the NBR.
Pursued by major multilateral donors including the WB, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB), the government previously undertook various reform programmes for its tax administration.