FROM PAGE B4

He also said the poor tax collection was compounded by resistance within the NBR to automation and digitisation whenever the government wants to increase the tax collection through these processes.

The real incentive, the former adviser suggested, was that if taxpayers visit the NBR office, officials can take bribe that would not occur under digital systems.

Speaking about recovering money laundered abroad during the previous regimes, he said 11 sensitive cases were identified during the interim government’s tenure and that recovery was possible within three to four years.

He also said Indian conglomerate Adani had nearly halted electricity supply to Bangladesh during his time, but continued after the finance ministry paid Tk 100 crore through the energy ministry.

He also criticised the contractual terms of both the Adani and Rampal power plant agreements.

On the proposed budget for FY27, Salehuddin said an expansionary budget with a deficit of 3.6 percent of GDP was not unreasonable given the political government’s mandate.

However, he flagged the NBR’s revenue target as overly ambitious given existing capacity and tax structure constraints.