STAR BUSINESS REPORT

Officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) continued their nationwide pen-down strike for a second consecutive day yesterday, demanding the removal of the NBR chairman and the cancellation of recent transfer orders.

The latest round of the protest began on Monday with a three-hour work stoppage. Yesterday, demonstrators extended it to five hours, from 9 am to 2 pm.

Staff staged a sit-in at the NBR headquarters at Agargaon area of the capital, while officials outside the capital joined in at their respective offices.

The NBR Unity Reform Council, a platform of protesting staff from the tax, customs and VAT departments, announced that demonstrations would continue today and tomorrow, from 12 pm to 5 pm, if their demands are not met.

International passenger services and export-related activities have been kept outside the purview of the strike.

On Monday, the council said it would launch an indefinite countrywide shutdown from Saturday unless the revenue chief is removed and transfer orders for colleagues who led last month’s protests are revoked.

The government on May 12 issued a gazette notification, separating revenue policy and implementation, and eventually dissolving the NBR.