Government revenue collection in the July-August period, the first two months of the current fiscal year of 2023-24, has increased by nearly 15 percent year-on-year, thanks to a rise in VAT from multinational companies. 

The National Board of Revenue (NBR), in association with Genex Infosys Limited, will install electronic fiscal devices (EFDs) at retail and wholesale outlets in Bangladesh to improve the collection of value-added tax (VAT) from these sources.

Wishy-washy -- is what best describes the government’s stance on scaling up its narrow revenue base, which is posing to become the Achilles’ heel to Bangladesh’s growth aspirations.

Writing on budget has become a challenge for me not only because so much has already been discussed, but there is barely anything original in the budget.