The Government has indicated it will amend the recently enacted ordinance that led to the splitting of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), amid continued protests from NBR employees. In a statement, the finance ministry said it would consult the NBR and other key stakeholders before finalizing any changes to the ordinance related to tax reforms.
The ministry emphasised that, despite the ongoing revisions, NBR activities would proceed as usual, with customs and income tax officials continuing their duties. It also called on the protesting employees to withdraw their strike, which has been ongoing for days.
The protests intensified after employees submitted a memorandum to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, outlining four demands. Chief among these are the repeal of the ordinance separating the NBR and the resignation of its Chairman, Abdur Rahman Khan. The employees clarified that their opposition is not to the separation itself but to a specific clause permitting civil servants from the general administration cadre to lead the newly formed divisions, effectively sidelining more experienced officers from the revenue cadre.
The Government’s statement assured that there are no plans to reduce the number of posts for customs and tax cadres at the NBR. On the contrary, it stated that the number of such posts is expected to increase following the implementation of the reforms.
While the protesting NBR employees welcomed the Government’s announcement late last night, they also warned that they would resume their protests on Saturday if their core demands, repeal of the ordinance and the resignation of the chairman, are not addressed. The employees expressed disappointment that these key issues were not directly mentioned in the Government’s statement.
