IMF offers help on NBR capacity building

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed interest in supporting capacity building of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), particularly digitalisation and automation, to boost revenue collection.

An IMF delegation visiting Dhaka, at a meeting on Monday, inquired of the revenue authorities about their demands.

At the meeting, the delegation also inquired about revenue collection in the recently concluded fiscal year and collection strategies for the new year.

On condition of anonymity, revenue officials told The Business Standard that the revenue board briefed the delegation about the NBR's automation initiatives over the past few years.

Besides, the board also shared its capacity building plans with the delegation. Revenue board Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem presided over the meeting, where senior NBR officers were also present.

Rahul Anand, division chief of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department, led the six-member visiting delegation.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior NBR official, who was present at the meeting, told TBS that the delegation had asked about collection in the last fiscal year. The IMF team expressed interest in assisting NBR in capacity building. However, no decision was reached in this regard.

Although the NBR's money-whitening scheme in the national budget was on the agenda, there was no discussion about it, said the official.

The IMF delegation also discussed tax exemption and its impact, according to sources.

The delegation will attend several meetings with various public and private bodies in Bangladesh till 20 July. In these discussions, it will be apprised of various government policies.