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DHAKA, April 28, 2026 (BSS) - Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) 
Md. Abdur Rahman Khan today announced that NBR is set to develop a dedicated 
digital platform for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to automate their 
accounting and taxation processes.

"SMEs will only need to input basic business information into the system, 
which will automatically perform accounting calculations and tax-related 
tasks," he said.

The NBR chief made these remarks while speaking at a pre-budget discussion 
held at the NBR office in the capital.

Highlighting existing challenges, SME Foundation General Manager Mohammad 
Jahangir Hossain noted that many small businesses still maintain accounts 
manually in traditional "Tally" books.

He proposed establishing upazila-level support infrastructure staffed with 
professionals to assist SMEs in maintaining monthly accounts.

The NBR Chairman emphasized the need for a comprehensive and reliable 
database to identify eligible SMEs for tax exemptions.

He urged the SME Foundation to share its existing data or develop a robust 
database to ensure targeted delivery of fiscal benefits.

On tobacco control, the NBR Chairman noted that higher taxes and prices on 
cigarettes have been effective in reducing consumption. 

He added that further increases in tobacco taxes and prices would be 
considered in the upcoming national budget.

Representatives from various organizations, including the Bangladesh Economic 
Association (BEA), Economic Research Group (ERG), Business Initiative Leading 
Development (BUILD), Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA), Centre for Policy 
Dialogue (CPD), Policy Research Institute (PRI), and the SME Foundation, 
attended the meeting.