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“We are not aiming to reduce revenue but to ease the compliance burden,” he said, assuring that simplification would be a key focus.

Khan noted that while Bangladesh’s corporate tax rate stands at 22.5 percent, the effective burden remains high due to arbitrary assessments. He said the NBR will introduce monitoring tools to assess the quality of assessments and reward officials based on merit and adherence to rules.

To enhance compliance, the NBR has begun issuing notices to non-filers and set recovery targets for tax offices. Despite most revenue being collected through source deductions and advance payments, voluntary compliance remains weak, he added.

A long-term tax policy is under consideration to reduce abrupt shifts, he informed. Major policy changes, including tax holidays, will require parliamentary approval.

On customs, Khan acknowledged concerns over valuation practices and announced reforms, including the launch of an online export-import tax portal and the suspension of manual audit selection.

“Random electronic audits will begin with 0.5 percent of returns and expand gradually,” he said.

M Masrur Reaz, chairman and CEO of Policy Exchange Bangladesh, warned of the formidable macroeconomic challenges ahead. “With inflation hovering near double digits and FDI at a six-year low, Bangladesh must take decisive fiscal and monetary action.”

He stressed the need for structural reforms in debt management, governance, and banking sector regulation. “Rising debt servicing costs are limiting productive investments, and fragmented institutional coordination is slowing effective policy responses.”

Reaz also called for greater transparency in public investments and the development of capital markets to reduce dependence on banks.

Snehasish Barua, partner at Snehasish Mahmud and Co, said incremental reforms would fall short. “We need a bold, forward-looking budget that expands the tax base, modernises VAT, and fully automates tax administration to improve compliance.”

Mohammad Iqbal Chowdhury, CEO of LafargeHolcim Bangladesh Ltd, urged reforms in the tax system to prevent revenue leakage.

Manabu Sugawara, country head of Marubeni Corporation in Bangladesh, called for simplifying indirect tax collection and said inter-ministerial coordination was vital to shaping effective fiscal policy.

Yuji Ando, joint secretary general of the JBCCI, pushed for complete digitalisation of customs clearance to eliminate physical visits. “Rules and procedures must be simplified, and Bangladesh’s investment incentives must be more competitive than its peers,” he added.

Abdul Mannan Shikder, a former NBR member, stressed the importance of changing the mindset of both tax officials and businesspeople to reduce tax evasion.

Md Afzal Hossain, former chairman of the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission, cautioned against imposing ad hoc taxes, which discourage investment. He also proposed sending SMS reminders to TIN holders for return submissions and advocated for public awareness campaigns over upazila-level tax offices.