The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) office is using all legal powers and resources to check individual and system-based maladministration and corrupt practices in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to restore taxpayers’ confidence, said FTO Asif Mahmood Jah.
Talking to members of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) on Monday, the ombudsman said that tax revenue collection could be increased “only through a fair, just, easy and efficient tax system”.
He said that the FTO office was not only handling taxpayers’ complaints but was also checking maladministration in tax matters through suo motu cases and inspections.
“FTO office provides a cost-free, efficient and merit-based mechanism to aggrieved persons, also it checks revenue leakages and contributes to better tax collection,” he said.
Underlining the outreach programme as a key function of FTO’s office, he highlighted that the president of Pakistan had directed it to expedite and enhance the scope of the programme.
The FTO office would bring an end to the unresponsive attitude of tax officers towards the taxpayers, he said, adding that he was issuing instructions to the FBR chairman in this regard. “FTO will ensure its implementation.”
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Seeking Aptma’s representation in the advisory committee of FTO Lahore for tax issues, he urged FBR officials to enhance their interaction with the business community for the timely resolution of problems.
On the missing amount of tax refunds of the export-oriented industry, he advised members of the association to file complaints with the FTO office for officially taking up the matter with the FBR.
FTO had received requests for 3,888 cases in 2020 and it disposed of 3,555 cases in the same year, he recalled.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2021.
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