NBR issues 14-point directives to pursue austerity in its offices

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has issued a 14-point directive to pursue austerity in all possible areas, especially in use of power and energy in all of its offices across the country.

The directives have been issued in light of the directives from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina under the current global volatile situation to save expenditure by 25 percent in the power sector and by 20 percent in the energy sector in all areas to save public funds, reports Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha on Tuesday.

The 14-point directives include keeping switch off fan, AC, light, TV when none stays inside the office rooms, the temperature of the AC could not be kept below 25 percent, avoiding unnecessary lighting, controlling use of AC in vehicles to save fuel expenditure and avoiding unnecessary use of government vehicles.

The directives also include holding all meetings as much as possible through online platforms, discouraging foreign trips of the NBR staff unless those are extremely important, ensuring optimum use of office stationeries like paper (prints should be made on both sides of paper and avoiding unnecessary printing of paper).

The revenue board directives also stated that the field-level offices would take necessary working plan and effective steps from the very beginning of the fiscal year to attain revenue collection target, every office would take steps for revenue expenditure cut through reviewing its purchasing plan, and completing the projects within the stipulated time frame as well as giving special directives to implement slow-paced projects.