Dhaka, Aug 18 (V7N)- Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said the government wants to transform the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the country's overall revenue system into a more people-friendly structure.
He made the remarks while attending the National Revenue Conference in the capital on Tuesday (August 18).
The Prime Minister said people now expect the NBR to become a reliable and trustworthy institution. Taxpayers, in particular, want to see the revenue authority as an institution they can trust.
He said public confidence can be built through efficient and sustainable revenue management, adding that revenue officials must take responsibility for meeting taxpayers' expectations.
Tarique Rahman said the global economy is changing rapidly, with advanced technologies emerging one after another and the nature of international trade undergoing significant changes.
He noted that new business models are creating both opportunities and challenges, while international tax and revenue management systems are also evolving.
According to the Prime Minister, a common objective of modern tax administrations worldwide is not simply to collect more revenue, but to encourage more people to pay taxes voluntarily.
He said repeatedly increasing the tax burden on existing taxpayers is not a sustainable way to increase revenue.
Instead, the government needs to identify individuals and businesses capable of paying taxes and bring them under the tax net in accordance with existing laws and regulations.
The Prime Minister emphasized that expanding the tax base and building public trust in the revenue system would be essential for sustainable revenue growth.
END/SMA/AJ
