Amid ongoing protests by National Board of Revenue (NBR) employees, the government softened its stance, announcing plans to amend the recently issued ordinance that split the NBR into two divisions.
In a statement, the finance ministry said it would consult the NBR and other key stakeholders before making changes to the controversial tax reform ordinance. It urged protesting officials to call off their strike, assuring that the day-to-day functions of the NBR would continue as usual, with customs and income tax cadre officials carrying out their responsibilities.
“Since implementing the revised ordinance will take time, the NBR will continue its operations, and cadre officials will perform their duties,” the ministry stated.
The announcement followed a memorandum submitted earlier in the day to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus by protesting NBR officials, who demanded the repeal of the ordinance and the resignation of NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan. While the employees have said they are not fundamentally opposed to splitting the NBR, they object strongly to a clause that allows civil servants from the general administration cadre to lead the new divisions—potentially bypassing senior revenue cadre officers with years of specialized experience.
Finance ministry emphasized that there are no plans to reduce positions for revenue cadre officials. On the contrary, it claimed the number of posts for tax and customs officers is likely to grow once the reforms are fully implemented.
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