LCCI laments FBR tax tactics, raids

Says heavy-handed measures are hurting businesses, calls for immediate end to harassment

LAHORE:

The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Tuesday strongly condemned the Federal Board of Revenue's (FBR) ongoing raids on industrial units, accusing the tax body of disrupting the business environment. In a statement, the LCCI urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to intervene and stop what it described as harmful practices.

According to LCCI President Mian Abuzar Shad, the FBR has been conducting raids without prior notice, filing FIRs without issuing show-cause notices or proper investigations, and demanding impractical affidavits from Chief Financial Officers (CFOs). These affidavits require CFOs to guarantee that all buyers and suppliers in their extended network are complying with the law—a requirement Shad called "unreasonable and impossible." He questioned how CFOs could be held accountable for entities beyond their control.

The statement also highlighted concerns raised during a meeting attended by several affected taxpayers, who shared stories of abrupt FIR registrations and raids that have left businesses in fear. They claimed these actions have forced companies to divert time and resources from operations and growth to defending themselves in legal battles.

Shad criticised the FBR's heavy-handed tactics, arguing that they were stifling business operations at a time when Pakistan's economy is already struggling. "The business community is a crucial driver of economic growth. By creating an atmosphere of fear, the FBR is hindering our progress towards economic recovery," he said.