Al Amin :
Dissatisfaction is being intensified among officers of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) over discrimination in posting.
The government is losing a huge amount of revenue, as many officers have built unauthorized relationship with the taxpayers remaining in the same tax area for a long time.
There are over 1000 cadre officers (both tax and customs) in the NBR. But, having no posting policy, over hundred influential officers have passed their service lives remaining in Dhaka or Chattagram, the most revenue sensitive area, by misusing their power, it is alleged.
Syed Aminul Kabir, former member of the NBR, told The New nation, “The government is losing revenue due to the posting discrimination as there are many officers who have built unauthorized relationship with the taxpayers remaining in the same tax zone or commissionerate for a long time.” The tendency is absolutely harmful for revenue collection, he added.
For reducing the discrimination, the NBR had drafted a posting policy one year ago, but it is yet to be finalized due to the unknown reason.Officials said that the NBR should have the policy along with automated Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) to reduce the discrimination.
An NBR official wishing his anonymity told The New Nation, “NBR had initiated to formulate a posting policy one year ago to remove the discrimination. A draft was also made, but it is still pending.”
“The discrimination will be removed, if a proper posting guideline is formulated,” he added.
He further said the NBR should develop automated HRMIS immediately to remove the crisis.
The frustrated officers alleged that many have been working in Dhaka for years and some have never been posted out of Dhaka in their service life.
On the other hand, some innocent officers have been posted outside the Dhaka for years and are being subjected to extreme discrimination in terms of transfer.
The officials alleged, the incumbent Commissioner of Large Taxpayer Unit (VAT) has never left Dhaka since joining the customs cadre in 1995.
On the other hand, the Director General of VAT Intelligence was transferred to Dhaka in 2013 and still he is working in the capital.
Additional Commissioner Shamima Ara Begum has never gone outside since she joined the service in 2003. Similarly, another Additional Secretary Shamima Akhtar, has recently been made the first secretary of the NBR from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Department, never been transferred outsid Dhaka.
Additional Commissioner Dr Nahida Faridi, well-known as a cousin of the customs Administration Member Saiful Islam, joined in 2003. But, except ADC at Chittagong Custom House, she has never been posted outside the capital.
Another additional commissioner, Kazi Touhida Akhter, has been working in Dhaka since the joining in 2003. Additional Commissioner of Customs Officer Mia Md Abu Obaida has been working in Dhaka since 2011. SM Sohel Rahman, Additional Commissioner of Dhaka South, has been in Dhaka since 2009. Similarly, Khandaker Nazmul Haque, Additional Commissioner of Customs House ICD, Kamalapur, has been roaming in Dhaka for over a decade.
Mohammad Tajul Islam, Additional Commissioner of Dhaka North Commissionerate, has been in Dhaka since 2011. The similar situation is also prevailing among the tax cadre officers as many tax cadre officers have been doing their jobs in the capital since their joining.
For an example, Additional Commissioner Khandker Khurshid Kamal, Joint Commissioners Mirza Md Mamun Sadat and Sayed Fahad Al Karim, have never been out of Dhaka since their joining.
