Parliament committee stresses digitalization to curb corruption

Photo: CNI

The second meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Finance of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad was held at the Parliament complex on Sunday, chaired by committee chairman Mushfiqur Rahman, MP.

The meeting placed special emphasis on two key issues.

First, the committee stressed the need to make the accounting and financial reporting system more transparent, modern and effective. It observed that greater accountability would further improve efficiency and effectiveness in government operations.

Second, the meeting highlighted the need to reduce dependence on direct physical contact and introduce digital and automated systems to prevent corruption.

The committee emphasized that merely identifying or punishing individuals involved in corruption would not be enough. Instead, the processes or systems through which corruption takes place must be changed or eliminated.

Such measures would reduce costs and harassment for businesses, improve the business environment and, at the same time, increase government revenue collection, the meeting observed.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) also presented detailed information on its capacity to manage government expenditure, measures taken to reduce the gap in the tax-to-GDP ratio, and the assessment of the NBR’s organizational structure and necessary steps.

Committee members took part in discussions on the issues presented.

At the beginning of the meeting, the minutes of the committee’s first meeting were confirmed.

Committee members and Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, MP; Chief Whip Md Nurul Islam Moni, MP; Md Jalal Uddin, MP; Moinul Islam Khan, MP; Md Shahadat Hossain, MP; Md Saiful Alam, MP; Syed Zainul Abedin, MP; and Md Abul Hasnat, MP, attended the meeting.

The First Secretary of Tax Policy at the NBR, the Secretary of the Parliament Secretariat, Secretary of the Finance Division, Secretary of the Financial Institutions Division, Secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), the NBR chairman and members, senior officials and relevant officials of the Parliament Secretariat were also present.