Industries receive audit notices
Board of Revenue to carry out inspection, businesses oppose.
KARACHI:
The Site Association of Industry has said Sindh Board of Revenue has once again started issuing notices to industries for audit and inspection of their facilities in the industrial zone.
In the notices, the industries had been asked to finalise their record files and attached dozens of documents which were required for carrying out inspection, the association said on Saturday.
Industries are getting notices under Section 73 of the Stamp Act 1899 which states that every public officer having in his custody any registers, books, records, papers, documents or proceedings, the inspections may tend to secure any duty, or to prove or lead to the discovery of any fraud or omission in relation to any duty, shall at all reasonable times permit any person authorised in writing by the collector to inspect for such purpose the registers, books, papers, documents and proceedings, and to take such notes and extracts as he may deem necessary, without fee or charge.
SITE Association Chairman Abdul Wahab Lakhani said around 30 to 40 industries had received notices this week. He recalled that the Board of Revenue had also issued such notices in the past few years but could not succeed in its efforts after protest from the industries.
He said Section 73, which was referred to in the notices, was applicable to public officers having in their custody any register, books, records, etc. “Private sector companies are neither public officers nor their establishments are public offices,” he added.
He said the notices appeared to have been issued due to misinterpretation of relevant provision of law. “It is most unfortunate if the law does not call for issuing such notices, then what extra legal provisions or relaxations are forcing BoR (Board of Revenue) to find a revenue tap from industry which is already crippled in the present situation where new investment is not coming,” he remarked.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2011.
The Site Association of Industry has said Sindh Board of Revenue has once again started issuing notices to industries for audit and inspection of their facilities in the industrial zone.
In the notices, the industries had been asked to finalise their record files and attached dozens of documents which were required for carrying out inspection, the association said on Saturday.
Industries are getting notices under Section 73 of the Stamp Act 1899 which states that every public officer having in his custody any registers, books, records, papers, documents or proceedings, the inspections may tend to secure any duty, or to prove or lead to the discovery of any fraud or omission in relation to any duty, shall at all reasonable times permit any person authorised in writing by the collector to inspect for such purpose the registers, books, papers, documents and proceedings, and to take such notes and extracts as he may deem necessary, without fee or charge.
SITE Association Chairman Abdul Wahab Lakhani said around 30 to 40 industries had received notices this week. He recalled that the Board of Revenue had also issued such notices in the past few years but could not succeed in its efforts after protest from the industries.
He said Section 73, which was referred to in the notices, was applicable to public officers having in their custody any register, books, records, etc. “Private sector companies are neither public officers nor their establishments are public offices,” he added.
He said the notices appeared to have been issued due to misinterpretation of relevant provision of law. “It is most unfortunate if the law does not call for issuing such notices, then what extra legal provisions or relaxations are forcing BoR (Board of Revenue) to find a revenue tap from industry which is already crippled in the present situation where new investment is not coming,” he remarked.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2011.