Reducing taxes can stop our salaries: Finance Adviser

 
The interim government's Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed has said that the interim government took over the charge of Bangladesh at such a critical time while the country's resources, banks and financial sector were in a dilapidated status due to unabated corruption and anarchy during the immediate past government.

Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed further said that it would be difficult to spend the required amount of funds for advancement in education and health sectors or to expand social safety net. Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed made the above comments while speaking at a seminar in the capital city organized jointly by Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) and Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) on Monday (22 September 2025).

Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed stated that a country runs smoothly when everyone pays their taxes complying with statutory financial laws. He added that revenue earned through taxes and no-tax collection is very much insufficient in Bangladesh. "The government will fall short of funds to pay our salaries if taxes are further reduced" Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed told the audiences. He remarked that investment in the private sector depends on banks for the most part.

Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed said that people in general across Bangladesh have a common propensity to evade paying taxes. Tax-GDP ratio in Bangladesh is 7.2% whereas it is 26% in Brazil, the Finance Adviser informed during the seminar. Better acquisition of taxes can ensure better form of services from the government, Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed affirmed. He called upon officials belonging to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to work with dedication, integrity and professionalism.