481 non-duty paid auctioned vehicles missing: FBR

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has reported that of the 819 over 2,000cc non-duty paid and smuggled luxury vehicles auctioned in the last five years, 481 have been missing.

According to a report prepared by the FBR, the Motor Vehicle Registration Authority (MVRA) did not have a record of the missing luxury vehicles.

The Directorate of Customs Intelligence, Quetta auctioned the highest number of luxury vehicles.
Of the 819 vehicles auctioned in the last five years, only 338 luxury vehicles have been registered with the MVRA.

Despite repeated letters from the FBR, the MVRA is reluctant to provide data of the auctioned vehicles.
The report on the seizure of non-duty paid and smuggled vehicles and the auctioned vehicles’ registration with the MVRA has been sent to the Federal Tax Ombudsman.

A copy of the report, signed by Director Headquarters Muhammad Tahir and sent to the Federal Tax Ombudsman's Office, available with The Express Tribune, states that a total of 819 luxury vehicles have been auctioned by eight regional directorates in the last five years.

According to the report, 123 luxury vehicles were auctioned by the Karachi directorate, of which, 39 luxury vehicles were registered with the MVRA and 84 luxury vehicles were not in the records.

Similarly, 124 luxury vehicles were auctioned by the Lahore directorate, of which, 49 luxury vehicles were registered with the MVRA and 75 were not in the records.

The report further said that 45 luxury vehicles were auctioned by the Multan directorate, of which, 19 luxury vehicles were registered with the MVRA and 26 luxury vehicles were not in the records.

The Peshawar directorate auctioned 22 luxury vehicles, of which, 14 luxury vehicles were registered with the MVRA and eight luxury vehicles were found in the records.

According to the report, 319 luxury vehicles were auctioned by the Quetta directorate, of which, 109 luxury vehicles were registered with the MVRA and 210 luxury vehicles were not in the records.

The report sent to the Federal Tax Ombudsman Office further said that 30 luxury vehicles were auctioned by the Hyderabad directorate, of which, six luxury vehicles were registered with the MVRA and 24 luxury vehicles were not in the records.

The Gwadar directorate auctioned 15 luxury vehicles, of which, one luxury vehicle was registered with the MVRA and 14 luxury vehicles were not in the records.

The Rawalpindi directorate auctioned 141 luxury vehicles, of which, 101 luxury vehicles were registered with the MVRA and 40 luxury vehicles were not in the records.

It should be noted that with the connivance of customs officials and excise and taxation officials in the country, a large number of smuggled and non-duty paid land cruisers, BMWs and Mercedes were auctioned on the basis of fake documents.

It has been revealed that the vehicles registered on fake papers are being used by influential people.
On the orders of the Federal Tax Ombudsman, the FBR launched an investigation into the registration of fake luxury vehicles.

According to sources, the Excise and Taxation Department had received complaints of registration of non-duty paid and smuggled luxury vehicles on fake documents.

Taking notice of this, the Excise and Taxation Department had directed the FBR to investigate the matter in detail and submit a report by July 31, 2021.