Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Photo: Collected
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said, ‘The government is trying to reduce spending on unnecessary sectors. However, spending will definitely be made on necessary sectors.’
The Prime Minister made these remarks in response to a question while attending the ‘Revenue Conference-2026’ organized as the chief guest at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in the capital on Tuesday (August 18) morning.
Tarique Rahman said, “We want to give more opportunities to those who are honest and skilled.”
He said, “If everyone does their job properly, positive changes will come to the country.”
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said that the government’s goal is to move forward with everyone.
He said, “The success of all the government’s development plans and their implementation largely depends on the success of the NBR’s activities. Therefore, I hope that today’s ‘conference’ will be a ‘conference’ that will guide you to greater success in the days to come.”
Addressing the NBR officials, the Prime Minister said, “You are more aware than any other class of people in the country of the kind of fragile economy through which we have taken on the responsibility of running the state. You know that, like all other institutions of the state, the National Board of Revenue could not remain free from the curse of a long decade and a half of fascist rule and exploitation.”
He said, ignoring the principles and rules, patronizing someone for personal or party interests, hostile attitude towards someone, or arbitrariness in revenue collection had called the NBR into question. People’s trust in the NBR had been destroyed.
He further said, “It is our turn to turn around in fascism-free Bangladesh. The people of the country currently expect the NBR to be a reliable and trustworthy institution. The people of the country, especially the taxpayers, want to see the NBR as their trusted institution. Public trust can be achieved only through efficient and sustainable revenue management. You have to take the responsibility of fulfilling that expectation of the taxpayers. The current government is committed to making the NBR, i.e. the revenue structure, people-friendly.”
The Prime Minister said that the exiled, fallen, fugitive fascist clique has turned the country into a debt-dependent, import-dependent state and fled in the face of a mass uprising.
The current government is against the policy of imposing additional debt burden on future generations by relying solely on foreign aid. Therefore, we must increase domestic revenue sources and revenue streams.
He said, the government has adopted a mass-oriented production policy to increase income sources and areas. As a result, investment in the country will increase. Trade, commerce, and industrialization will increase. People’s income will increase. There will be widespread employment and the people will receive better government services. In this regard, the more efficient and effective role of the NBR is undeniable.
Tarique Rahman said, the world economy is changing rapidly. One after another, cutting-edge technologies are being developed. The pattern of international trade is changing. New business models are being created. Various challenges have arisen. There have been changes in international tax or revenue management. It is now the demand of the hour for revenue officials to acquire multi-dimensional skills to face the economic problems, opportunities, and challenges of the changing world.
Present at the conference stage are Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Prime Minister’s Finance and Planning Advisor Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir.