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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for a significant transformation of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), urging it to become a trusted and people-friendly institution by simplifying tax management and collection. He stressed the need to eliminate corruption and harassment from tax procedures, encouraging voluntary tax payments.

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Tax management and collection procedures must be simple, corruption- and harassment-free so that people feel comfortable paying taxes voluntarily.

Rahman stated that increasing the tax burden on the same individuals is not a sustainable revenue strategy. Instead, he advocated for identifying potential taxpayers and bringing them into the tax net through effective measures, emphasizing the necessity of building a modern, data-driven tax administration. He also highlighted the importance of Value Added Tax (VAT) in a modern economy, noting that its success hinges on effective implementation without hindering business and trade.

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Repeatedly increasing the tax burden on the same taxpayers is not a sustainable way to increase revenue. Rather, it is very necessary to identify the people who are able to pay tax and bring them under tax net through proper measures. Thus, there is no alternative to building a digitally modern, data-driven tax administration.

The Prime Minister addressed revenue officials, expressing hope that they would establish the NBR as a reliable institution. He urged them to prioritize institutional and national interests above personal or partisan gains. Reflecting on the country's recent past, Rahman mentioned the "curse" of a "fascist rule" that affected state institutions like the NBR, leading to arbitrary revenue collection and erosion of public confidence. He expressed optimism for a "bounce back" in a Bangladesh now free from fascism, underscoring the NBR's crucial role in the government's development plans.

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Customs, VAT or tax collection is not merely a matter of coercion. If a relationship of trust and confidence is established between taxpayers and the revenue administration, revenue collection becomes much easier.