Staff Correspondent
The appointment of Ahsan Habib, a senior officer of the BCS Taxation Cadre, as chairman of the National Board of Revenue has boosted morale within the revenue administration at a time when the organisation is under pressure to meet the government’s revenue collection target.
Officials said the appointment also carries institutional significance, as this is the first time in 53 years that an officer from the NBR’s own tax cadre has been made its chief.
Habib, a member of the NBR, was appointed acting secretary of the Internal Resources Division and chairman of the NBR following the retirement of former chairman Abdur Rahman Khan on June 29.
The move has been welcomed by officials and employees across the revenue administration, many of whom said it ended a prolonged period of uncertainty and distrust within the organisation.
For years, NBR officials had demanded that the agency be led by a professional from within its own cadre instead of officers from outside the revenue service. Officials said the government’s decision to appoint a career tax officer to the top post has strengthened their sense of institutional ownership.
Several NBR officials said the appointment of “one of their own” has encouraged them to work with renewed commitment to achieve the government’s revenue targets.
The NBR is now entering a crucial period, with the implementation of the national budget and the revenue collection target for the current fiscal year among its major challenges.
Officials said Habib’s long experience in tax administration, from field-level work to policymaking and senior administrative positions, would help the organisation at this stage.
During his previous assignments, Habib was known within the administration for taking steps against corruption, strengthening accountability, checking tax evasion, and bringing large taxpayers under closer scrutiny, officials said.
They said his experience in revenue collection and institutional management would be important in improving compliance, expanding the tax base, and ensuring smoother taxpayer services.
The new chairman has also moved to ease tensions within the NBR following months of internal unease over a reform movement that divided officials and employees.
The movement created mistrust between officials who supported it and those who opposed some of its demands and actions. The temporary suspension of several officials further deepened dissatisfaction at the field level.
Soon after taking charge, Habib took a conciliatory approach. On July 5, he held a special Zoom meeting with NBR officials from across the country in an effort to rebuild confidence and restore unity.
During the meeting, three temporarily suspended officials were allowed to place their concerns directly before the chairman, officials said.
Habib listened to the participants and urged all officials to move beyond differences and focus on the NBR’s core responsibility: collecting revenue in the national interest.
He also assured officials that they would receive administrative support while performing their lawful duties and that he would take institutional responsibility for challenges arising from their official work, according to officials who attended the meeting.
Officials said the message helped ease tensions and created a renewed sense of confidence within the organisation.
They said the chairman’s immediate priorities are expected to include improving revenue collection efficiency, expanding online tax services, creating a business-friendly tax environment, widening the tax net, ensuring fair tax collection, preventing evasion, and promoting professionalism and transparency among tax officials.
Many officials believe the appointment has come at a critical time for the revenue administration, which must improve collection while maintaining taxpayer confidence.
They said the combination of experienced leadership and renewed unity could help the NBR strengthen domestic resource mobilisation and make the tax administration more efficient.
