Officers and employees of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) continued their work abstention for a second consecutive day on Thursday, as part of a three-day protest called by the NBR Reform Unity Council, representing officials from the Customs, VAT, and Income Tax wings.
The protest, running from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, is scheduled to resume again on Saturday.
It follows strong opposition to the government’s recent decision to restructure the NBR by dividing it into two units: the Revenue Policy Division and the Revenue Management Division.
Protesters argue the restructuring ignored recommendations from the NBR Reform Committee.
Demonstrators symbolically laid down their pens to express dissent. Their main concern is the new ordinance, published late Monday, which allows administrative cadre officers to hold top positions in the restructured setup.
They also object to the placement of appellate tribunals under the Revenue Policy Division of the finance ministry.
Approved by the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, the ordinance permits positions within the divisions to be filled by professionals with backgrounds in taxation, economics, law, and administration.
It aims to separate policy-making from revenue collection to improve transparency and efficiency.
However, NBR officials claim the move undermines their roles and threatens the institution’s independence.
The NBR Reform Committee, formed in October 2023, includes former NBR chairmen and senior members, who had recommended internal reforms rather than administrative overhauls involving external appointments.
