Tax ombudsman regional office inaugurated

Official says complaints related to federal tax authorities to be decided within few days

ABBOTTABAD:

For immediate and free redressal of grievances against the federal tax institutions, Federal Tax Ombudsman Asif Mehmood Jah inaugurated the Federal Tax Ombudsman Regional Office on Wednesday.

At the regional office, complaints related to federal tax authorities, including income tax, sales tax, customer and federal excise will be decided within a few days, he said. The central government has handed over the powers of a Supreme Court judge to the federal ombudsman, who can hear cases regarding the contempt of court and award a sentence of up to six months in prison, he added.

Jah said that the institution had been set up for sharing facilities nationwide. He said that he had an emotional attachment with Abbottabad, as during the 2005 devastating earthquake, he had worked in the region. He said that the office was established in the past during his stay in the region and now, a regional office had been established to resolve the issues of the masses on a priority basis.

Further, he said that the office of the federal ombudsman could not be ignored as the federal government had granted the powers of an apex court judge to decide the complaints of the masses. He further said that the regional office would take immediate action as soon as a complaint is submitted.

Jah said that traders and the chambers of commerce would appoint a representative for the office so that any grievance would be resolved through them immediately. The suggestions would go to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), he said, adding that everyone should know that the office was a people-friendly institution, where tax-related issues were to be solved on a priority basis.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2022.