# Revenue Reforms Drive Growth: Six-Month Collection Up by Tk 23,020 Crore

> The National Board of Revenue (NBR) reports significant gains from its ongoing reforms, including separating revenue policy from administration. Digitalization, anti-tax-evasion measures, and taxpayer-friendly initiativ…

Published: 2026-01-29 · Desk: Latest · Source: The Business Standard

According to the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the decision to separate revenue policy from revenue administration is a major milestone in its ongoing reform process.

NBR reports that its reforms have already yielded significant short-term gains in revenue collection. Structural reforms, digitalization, anti-tax-evasion measures, and taxpayer-friendly initiatives contributed to an increase of Tk 23,020 crore in revenue during the first six months of the current fiscal year compared to the same period last year.

In a detailed brief sent to the Chief Adviser on Sunday (January 25), NBR reported that total revenue collection from July to December 2025 reached Tk 1,85,229 crore, marking a substantial increase over the previous fiscal year.

The brief notes that the “Revenue Policy and Revenue Administration Ordinance, 2025” established a separate framework for formulating and implementing revenue policy. The decision was approved by the National Implementation Committee for Administrative Reform (NICAR), chaired by the Chief Adviser, paving the way for long-awaited structural reforms at NBR.

Major Investments in Digital Revenue Management

To fully digitize revenue administration, the World Bank-funded Strengthening Domestic Revenue Mobilization Project (SDRMP) has been launched with an investment of nearly Tk 1,000 crore. The project modernizes income tax, VAT, and customs processes. Initiatives like e-returns, online payments, e-refunds, VAT smart invoices, and risk-based audits have reduced taxpayer harassment, NBR claims.

Controlling Tax Exemptions

To curb the culture of tax exemptions, the Tax Expenditure Policy and Management Framework (TEPMF) has been published in the government gazette. Amendments to the Income Tax Act 2023, Customs Act 2023, and VAT Act have withdrawn NBR’s authority to grant exemptions unilaterally; exemptions now require parliamentary approval.

Progress in Customs and VAT

As part of reforms, Bangladesh Single Window (BSW) has been launched in customs and VAT, allowing 19 agency certificates, licenses, and permits to be issued online. Nearly 900,000 certificates have already been issued, typically within one hour to one day.

A special VAT registration campaign in December 2025 alone added 131,000 new VAT registrations, bringing the total number of registered VAT entities to 775,000.

Online Income Tax Filing

Mandatory e-filing of income tax returns has led to over 3.4 million e-returns submitted so far. For expatriate Bangladeshis, an email-based OTP system facilitates easier return filing from abroad, with more than 5,000 expatriate taxpayers using the service. The risk-based audit system has also increased transparency in audit selection.

Tax and Duty Relief for Business and Public Interest

The brief highlights various exemptions: customs duty waiver on airline tickets and related services for Hajj pilgrims, reduced duty and advance tax on dates imports during Ramadan, and exemptions on essential commodities.

For mobile phone imports, customs duty has been reduced from 25% to 10%, lowering the overall import duty to up to 60%.

NBR states that these reforms have already improved revenue collection, taxpayer confidence, and business-friendly conditions. In the medium and long term, the reforms are expected to play a critical role in increasing the revenue-to-GDP ratio.

Original reporting: https://www.tbsnews.net/bangla/Economy/news-details-444661
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