Dhaka, Jan. 3 -- The National Board of Revenue (NBR) says it registered more than 131,000 businesses for value added tax (VAT) in December, exceeding its original target as part of a nationwide drive to expand the tax base.

The tax authority had aimed to bring 100,000 businesses under VAT registration ahead of VAT Day and VAT Week last month. However, officials said the final number surpassed that goal following special campaigns carried out across the country.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the NBR said the registrations were completed through daily drives and surveys conducted by all 12 VAT commissionerates, including on public holidays.

The authority said the total number of VAT-registered businesses has risen to about 775,000, ...