NBR officials on pen-down strike wearing shrouds

Officials and employees started sit-in at the gate of National Board of Revenue (NBR) wearing shrouds demanding resignation of Chairman.

Around 9AM on Tuesday, the NBR officials and employees of different levels started the three-hour strike and pen-down programme.

Earlier on Saturday, NBR Reform Unity Council’s President and Additional Commissioner Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabdar and General Secretary and Additional Tax Commissioner Sehela Siddiqua reiterated their demand for rational reforms within the revenue board.

The council claimed that NBR Chairman should be removed immediately, alleging that his leadership has only delayed meaningful reforms.

They previously declared the Chairman “persona non grata” on the NBR premises.

Criticising the NBR Reform Committee formed on June 19, the council demanded proper representation within the body.

The government issued an ordinance on May 12 abolishing the NBR and the Internal Resources Division (IRD), replacing them with two new divisions: Revenue Policy Division and Revenue Management Division.

Since then, NBR officials under the Reform Unity Council have been staging various protest programmes.

On May 26, the government announced that necessary amendments to the ordinance would be made through discussions by July 31. As part of that process, a new committee was formed earlier today.