IMF wants to know NBR's specific strategies to increase revenue

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), expressing dissatisfaction over the various initiatives taken by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to raise revenue collection, wants to know its specific strategies and action plans.

An IMF delegation headed by Rahul Anand, the visiting Bangladesh mission head of the organisation, held a meeting with senior officials of NBR on Sunday (7 May).

Earlier, the team met with the NBR officials for two more rounds and asked to know about the activities, steps, and initiatives of the top revenue organisation.

"The delegation wants to know specific information about our revenue collection strategy," a senior NBR official present at the meeting on Sunday told The Business Standard, wishing anonymity.

"There will be some initiatives in our budget. However, since the budget is a confidential matter, I cannot tell the delegation in detail about it," said the official.

In a press release issued Sunday (7 May), the IMF flagged risks to the Bangladesh economy such as inflation, growth and foreign reserves as it concluded its mission under the $4.7 billion loan programme.

The IMF will disburse the loans in seven instalments until 2026, with the first tranche of $476.2 million released on 30 January. The next instalment is due in November.