Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed will meet with National Board of Revenue (NBR) officials on Tuesday to discuss reform initiatives, the NBR’s Public Relations Officer Al Amin Sheikh confirmed. The meeting is scheduled for 3:30pm at the Finance Ministry.
The development comes after Sunday’s six-hour pen-down strike by the NBR Reform Unity Council demanding sustainable reforms. Their key demands include the immediate withdrawal of the proposed Revenue Ordinance, public release of the NBR Reform Advisory Committee report, and comprehensive reforms through consultations with stakeholders including NBR officials, business associations, civil society members, and political leaders.
“We remain open to dialogue with the government,” the Council stated Saturday, emphasising their preference for peaceful resolution. Earlier that day, NBR staff had staged a spontaneous five-hour work stoppage from 10:00am to 3:00pm across Customs, VAT, and Tax departments, with employees at all levels participating and various sectors expressing solidarity.
The Council warned that unilateral reforms could destabilise revenue administration. They noted that NBR officials have long been demanding such reforms and yet the government issued the ordinance without consulting the very stakeholders responsible for its implementation.
They stressed that transparent, inclusive reforms involving all stakeholders are crucial for national interests, while expressing concern that the government-formed reform committee’s report remains undisclosed.