WB to discontinue $60m NBR modernisation programme
Sunday, 13 September 2009
IFC to support similar project -3
The World Bank (WB) has decided to discontinue the NBR's US$60 million Revenue Administration Modernisation Project (RAMP), as the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has signed a similar project agreement with the NBR, reports UNB.
World Bank acting Country Director Tahseen Syed recently sent a letter to Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Nasiruddin Ahmed in this regard.
In the letter, the WB official said the IFC under its Bangladesh Investment Climate Change Trust Fund planned to provide support to the NBR to implement the reform programme.
On September 2, the NBR signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the IFC to receive technical support to digitalise NBR within the shortest possible time.
Under this project, the NBR will establish connectivity with all commercial banks, national ID authority, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and all field offices of VAT, income tax and customs for improving its efficiency in delivering services to the people.
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, will provide technical assistance to execute the plan, aiming to simplify, streamline and automate a number of government-to-business (G2B) services.
The main focus of the technical assistant programme is on creation of a central data centre at the NBR, automation of duty exemption and drawback office (DEDO), online VAT registration and return submission, setting up one-stop taxpayers service, e-payment of taxes, etc.
Once implemented, people are expected to increasingly pay tax. The NBR will also be able to issue TIN certificates and Business Identification Number (BIN) online.
"If everything goes as per the plan, the proposed project will kick off by July next year," said an NBR official.
He said the proposed project would be a follow-up of the existing 'Modernisation and Automation Project', which was launched earlier for enhancing the administrative capacity of the NBR.
The World Bank (WB) has decided to discontinue the NBR's US$60 million Revenue Administration Modernisation Project (RAMP), as the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has signed a similar project agreement with the NBR, reports UNB.
World Bank acting Country Director Tahseen Syed recently sent a letter to Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Nasiruddin Ahmed in this regard.
In the letter, the WB official said the IFC under its Bangladesh Investment Climate Change Trust Fund planned to provide support to the NBR to implement the reform programme.
On September 2, the NBR signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the IFC to receive technical support to digitalise NBR within the shortest possible time.
Under this project, the NBR will establish connectivity with all commercial banks, national ID authority, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and all field offices of VAT, income tax and customs for improving its efficiency in delivering services to the people.
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, will provide technical assistance to execute the plan, aiming to simplify, streamline and automate a number of government-to-business (G2B) services.
The main focus of the technical assistant programme is on creation of a central data centre at the NBR, automation of duty exemption and drawback office (DEDO), online VAT registration and return submission, setting up one-stop taxpayers service, e-payment of taxes, etc.
Once implemented, people are expected to increasingly pay tax. The NBR will also be able to issue TIN certificates and Business Identification Number (BIN) online.
"If everything goes as per the plan, the proposed project will kick off by July next year," said an NBR official.
He said the proposed project would be a follow-up of the existing 'Modernisation and Automation Project', which was launched earlier for enhancing the administrative capacity of the NBR.