NBR to frame strategies to achieve revenue collection target

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Doulot Akter Mala | Published: January 30, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

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The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has instructed its field-offices to strengthen audit of income tax files, intensify survey of new taxpayers and frame strategies to achieve revenue collection target.
The instructions came following the review of trend of revenue collection until December 2014 of the current Fiscal Year (FY).
The NBR chairman Nojibur Rahman gave a brief direction to the top income tax officials across the country in a meeting held on the NBR premises Thursday.
Target for income tax collection has been set at Tk 575 billion for the current FY. In the first half, the income tax wing collected Tk 187 billion.
The tax authority, however, expressed their fear over the uncertainty created due to the ongoing political turmoil that may affect corporate tax collection in the second half of the FY.
In the first half, the NBR mobilised 39.22 per cent of its aggregate revenue collection target of Tk 1.49 trillion. So it will have to collect Tk 905 billion in the next six months to achieve the target.
All of the tax offices have placed their respective work-plan and initiatives to achieve the revenue collection target in the next half of the 2014-15.
The audit cases that have been selected from the tax files of 2012-13 and 2013-14 should be completed by June next as per instructions of the NBR chair, said a meeting source.
Strengthening e-TIN activities was also discussed in the meeting. The NBR issued some 1.5 million e-TIN so far. Of the e-TIN holders some 5,00,000 are new taxpayers while rest 1.0 million are existing taxpayers who have re-registered themselves by obtaining fresh TIN through online.
Taxmen have expressed their optimism over reaching 1.7 million taxpayers through e-TIN.
The NBR chairman also termed the 'e-TIN' as one of the major areas of success of tax authority, official said.
Officials said the NBR chairman asked the officials to explore all potentialities.
Private schools, colleges, universities would be monitored to see their tax payment status. Stuck-up cases involving large amount of revenue would also be expedited as per instruction of the NBR chief.
There are some tax-related disputes with the local authorities and state-owned bodies which would be resolved through discussions with the respective entities.
Income tax wing gave detailed presentations of its activities in the meeting. The presentations have shown the gradual increase in ratio of income tax collection among the three wings of the NBR.
Earlier, the NBR chairman held a meeting with former chiefs and members of the revenue board on Wednesday in a bid to prepare a position paper on Annual Performance Agreement (APA).
The board would work on the basis of recommendations of the former NBR chairmen and members prior to placing details on APA to the Cabinet Division.
The reform wing of the Cabinet Division has sought the position paper on performance of NBR under the 'Government performance management system' for the fiscal year (FY) 2014-15 by February 1.
There would be time-bound programmes, targets and action-plan under the APA.
Former NBR chiefs Dr Md Abdul Mazid, who is now chairman of the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), Dr Nasiruddin Ahmed, now commissioner of Anti-corruption Commission (ACC), and Zakir Ahmed Khan, adviser of the Southeast Bank, gave their recommendations at the meeting.
"We have shared experiences to frame the APA. The plan should involve field-level tax officials to make it implementable," said Dr Abdul Mazid.  
Dr Nasiruddin Ahmed appreciated the move to prepare the action-plan on APA following recommendations of the former chairs and members.
"We would definitely give inputs to the NBR to draw up the plan for APA," he said.  
Many countries of the world have the system to increase efficiencies and skill of the government officials through a result-oriented performance management system.
A core committee has been formed to assess APAs of India, Bhutan, Kenya, Malaysia and South Africa. The committee has already prepared an action-plan for enforcing the APA in Bangladesh.
All the ministries and departments would sign APA with the cabinet secretary for implementing their respective action plans.
    doulot_akter@yahoo.com