Cigarette tax not to increase in next budget: NBR Chairman

National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan has said that there will be no further increase in tax on cigarettes in the upcoming budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

He made this statement at a pre-budget discussion held at the conference room of the NBR building at Agargaon in the capital on Wednesday (March 19).

Stating that the tax on bidis is lower than that of cigarettes in the country, the NBR chairman said that he has warned of taking strict legal action against the bidi owners' association if the production of fake bidi is not stopped.

Abdur Rahman Khan also said that the amount of revenue that is supposed to come from VAT is not coming. If consumers do not take receipts with VAT, the revenue will not increase. Those who take receipts with VAT will be given prizes of up to Tk 1 lakh through a lottery. That initiative is being taken.