Minister denies abolishing 1,000 BPS 1-15 posts

Tells Senate that panel on institutional reforms had asked for abolishing posts lying vacant for one year

ISLAMABAD:

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan on Wednesday brushed aside the allegations of abolishing 1,000 posts of BPS 1-15 in September this year by the incumbent government.

During the Question Hour in the upper house, the minister said in fact the Cabinet Committee on Institutional Reforms (CCIR) had directed all ministries and divisions in March this year to abolish the posts of BPS 1-16 that have remained vacant for more than one year, except the ones meant for promotion and for which recruitment is under process.

The posts in health, education and federal police department were exempted from abolition.
The minister maintained that the abolished posts included the Pakistan Post Office Department, Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Inter-Provincial Coordination, National Council of Social Welfare, MS Wing, Establishment Division and Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education.

He argued that abolishing a post that has been lying vacant will not affect the job of any incumbent employee. The abolition is not being done on monthly basis, he said, and went on to explain that it was only a one-time action taken on the directions of CCIR.

As per Schedule of Financial Management and Powers of PAOs Regulations, 2021, he said the secretary of the ministry/division has full powers for the abolition of a post. In response to a question, he said for the purpose of broadening of tax base and to encourage the business community to get themselves registered with the sales tax department various legal measures have been introduced.

Powers have been granted to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to direct the gas and electricity distribution companies for discontinuance of gas and electricity connections of any persons required to integrate their outlets with the Board or notified tier-1 retailers, who fail to integrate for the sales tax purposes.

He said the tax has been enhanced on industrial and commercial gas and electricity connections to persons, who failed to either obtain sales tax registration number or are not on the Active Taxpayers List maintained by the Board.

The minister said the scope of section 73 of the Sales Tax Act, 1990 has been enhanced.
Resultantly, subject to certain conditions, every registered person is required to make taxable supplies to a registered person only, failing which the proportionate input is disallowed if supplies are made to an unregistered person.

Ali Muhammad said the government has also introduced several measures in the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 for broadening the tax base in the country. He said maintenance of Active Taxpayers List (ATL) and 100% enhanced rate of advance tax on certain transactions like sale and purchase of property, purchase of vehicles, supply of goods/services in case of non-filers.

The threshold of advance tax on electricity bills has been reduced from Rs75,000 to Rs25,000 but linked with return filer status to encourage return filing.

He said collection of additional advance tax from professionals not appearing on ATL and operating from residential premises having domestic electricity connection. Ali Muhammad said the procedure for investigation and trial of offences under Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 have been aligned with that of the Sales Tax Act, 1990 to penalize concealment of income and to bring high net worth individuals into the tax net.

He said the tax credit for Point of Sale (POS) integration has been introduced in order to bring more Tier-I retailers into the tax net. The minister said advance tax under section 236G on distributors, dealers, sub-dealers, wholesalers, and under section 236H on retailers has been extended to pharmaceuticals, poultry and animal feed, edible oil and ghee, battery, tyres, varnishes, chemicals, cosmetics and IT equipment to tap the supply of these sectors and bring them into the tax net.
Ali Muhammad said a special tax regime for the SME sector has been introduced to bring small and medium manufacturers into the tax net.