Written by The Banking Post
The government’s confidence in National Board of Revenue (NBR) officials has eroded following the recent strike, and it is now up to them to restore it through improved performance, said Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.
“Trust must be regained by boosting revenue collection and facilitating trade so that port congestion eases and goods clear quickly,” Khan told reporters at a press briefing on Sunday.
Industries Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan were also present.
Asked if the government would assure striking officials that no punitive measures would follow, Khan said: “There is nothing to reassure. The movement lasted two months, and the government did not act. NBR officials are not children; we assured them their demands would be reviewed.”
Khan, who also chairs a government committee on trade facilitation, industrial policy and revenue issues, noted the strike had harmed exporters and importers, even if revenue losses are set aside. “This is not private business. There must be accountability,” he said. “Such actions have consequences. The economy and exports have suffered.”
Addressing the roots of the protest, he pointed to long-running tensions between the BCS Administration cadre and other cadres, particularly customs. “This conflict isn’t new, but the question is why it escalated around this ordinance,” he observed.
According to Khan, two factors triggered the flare-up: “First, the ordinance itself has significant flaws. Second, there was, in our view, clever manipulation by those drafting it.”
He highlighted ambiguities in the ordinance, such as the clause allowing the government to appoint any “suitably qualified” officer as secretary of the Revenue Policy Division. “But who decides what ‘suitably qualified’ means? It leaves room for arbitrary appointments,” Khan said.
Another clause permits appointing someone with experience in revenue collection. “But what does that cover? Land revenue, passport fees? In practice, it points to income tax, VAT, and customs,” he added.
“These are among the concerns our committee has identified, and we will formally submit recommendations to the government,” Khan concluded.
