Yunus announces NBR abolition, splits revenue functions

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus announced Tuesday the abolition of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), following the Revenue Reforms Commission’s recommendations.

Yunus came up with the announcement in his address to the nation in the evening.  

The NBR will be replaced by two new entities: the National Revenue Policy Board for policy formulation and the National Revenue Collection Department for implementation.  

Yunus said the move curbs evasion of “thousands of crores of taka” by government cronies, urging future administrations to uphold it. 

A five-member NBR advisory committee earlier proposed the split, arguing the NBR’s dual role fosters bias. 

The IMF, tied to its $4.7 billion loan, and businesses—long critical of the NBR’s “autocratic” bent—echoed the call. 

A white paper team under economist Debapriya Bhattacharya also backed the reform, citing skewed policies favoring targets over taxpayers.