NBR honours five firms as e-return champions
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has awarded five organisations as e-return champions for demonstrating improved compliance with the digital tax system.
The firms are: Sonali Bank PLC, British American Tobacco Bangladesh Company Ltd, BRAC, BURO Bangladesh, and Renata PLC.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The awardees received certificates at an event held at Le Méridien Dhaka in the capital yesterday.
The NBR organised the programme to celebrate a major milestone in its ongoing digital transformation journey, the issuance of over half a million certificates, licences, and permits (CLPs) through the Bangladesh Single Window (BSW) platform.
Launched in January 2025, the BSW platform streamlines trade by allowing businesses to obtain necessary government authorisations, such as certificates, licences, and permits, through a single digital interface.
Speaking at the event, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed urged all businesspeople to actively participate in the digital tax initiative.
"We already have a few strong participants like BRAC, British American Tobacco, and other large firms. I expect more businesses will come forward — especially when the programme and apps are functioning well. There should be no compromise when it comes to digitalisation," he said.
He said that service is the most important factor.
"This is not just about revenue collection, it's about providing service. If you give good service, people will pay their taxes and service fees. If you don't, people will withhold payments."
He also addressed concerns about Bangladesh's low tax-to-GDP ratio.
"Take Brazil, for example. They have one of the highest tax-to-GDP ratios, around 26 percent.
This is because businesses and individuals don't object to paying taxes; they receive excellent services in return — whether in education, healthcare, or infrastructure. If people get good services, they are willing to pay," he said.
"In our country, it's still difficult. But I believe this is just the beginning."
Initially launched with seven key agencies in the BSW platform, the system now includes all 19 CLP-issuing agencies, including BEZA, BSTI, BIDA, and the Department of Environment. To date, the BSW system has processed 578,491 CLPs, with 84 percent of applications completed within just one hour, and 95 percent within one day.
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