Election reforms: Poll candidates bound to submit tax number
FBR, State Bank promises help against tax evaders, loan defaulters.
Among its proposed election reforms, ECP has asked the Parliament to amend relevant laws in order to extend the period of scrutiny for nomination papers. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
In what appears to be the first practical attempt to discourage tax evaders and loan defaulters from taking part in elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to ask for prospective candidates’ National Tax Numbers (NTN) in their nomination forms.
In a meeting with the commission on Wednesday, officials from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) also agreed to extend full cooperation in preventing offenders from contesting the elections.
“During the meeting, FBR’s team assured the ECP that the board shall extend its full cooperation in the forthcoming elections,” read a statement by the commission’s media office.
According to the statement, the team elaborated that FBR could help ECP by providing the particulars of candidates who are either not on the tax roll or are not filing tax returns despite being on the tax roll. The team claimed the board could verify the candidates’ NTNs and statements of assets and liabilities as well. The FBR team told ECP that it would also recommend certain changes in the current format of the nomination papers and the declaration of assets to be filed by candidates.
Meanwhile, SBP, while assuring its full cooperation, agreed to share information available with its Electronic Credit Investigation Bureau (ECIB).
“ECIB has information on those borrowing from financial institutions running under SBP’s supervision. SBP is ready to share this information under relevant laws,” the ECP spokesperson quoted the SBP officials as saying following the meeting.
In Wednesday’s meeting, FBR and SBP officials agreed to verify prospective candidates’ statements of assets and liabilities within a period of 10 days upon receipt. According to ECP’s media office, another meeting to finalise a mechanism for verifying nomination papers will be held within a week’s time as well.
Among its proposed election reforms, ECP has asked the Parliament to amend relevant laws in order to extend the period of scrutiny for nomination papers. Under current laws, the commission has between three to four days to complete the process, rendering the exercise a mere formality.
Eligibility for contesting elections is defined by articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution. Returning officers (RO’s) – usually district and session judges – are supposed to verify whether a prospective candidate is qualified to run for elections. Till now, ROs have had to rely solely on the candidates’ own declarations and objections filed by other candidates in order to verify their eligibility.
ECP says that this time around, ROs will be provided computers with an online system to check candidates’ tax and loan history. While the commission has asked the Parliament to increase the scrutiny period to 30 days, the parliamentary panel constituted in this regard will likely only extend it to 14 days.
If implemented in true spirit, many political bigwigs may be barred from taking part in the polls. ECP’s working paper in this regard, available with The Express Tribune, acknowledges that its proposals are unprecedented and may encounter difficulties and resistance in the start. However, it adds that once its proposals start functioning, they would definitely bring about fruitful results.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2013.
In what appears to be the first practical attempt to discourage tax evaders and loan defaulters from taking part in elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to ask for prospective candidates’ National Tax Numbers (NTN) in their nomination forms.
In a meeting with the commission on Wednesday, officials from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) also agreed to extend full cooperation in preventing offenders from contesting the elections.
“During the meeting, FBR’s team assured the ECP that the board shall extend its full cooperation in the forthcoming elections,” read a statement by the commission’s media office.
According to the statement, the team elaborated that FBR could help ECP by providing the particulars of candidates who are either not on the tax roll or are not filing tax returns despite being on the tax roll. The team claimed the board could verify the candidates’ NTNs and statements of assets and liabilities as well. The FBR team told ECP that it would also recommend certain changes in the current format of the nomination papers and the declaration of assets to be filed by candidates.
Meanwhile, SBP, while assuring its full cooperation, agreed to share information available with its Electronic Credit Investigation Bureau (ECIB).
“ECIB has information on those borrowing from financial institutions running under SBP’s supervision. SBP is ready to share this information under relevant laws,” the ECP spokesperson quoted the SBP officials as saying following the meeting.
In Wednesday’s meeting, FBR and SBP officials agreed to verify prospective candidates’ statements of assets and liabilities within a period of 10 days upon receipt. According to ECP’s media office, another meeting to finalise a mechanism for verifying nomination papers will be held within a week’s time as well.
Among its proposed election reforms, ECP has asked the Parliament to amend relevant laws in order to extend the period of scrutiny for nomination papers. Under current laws, the commission has between three to four days to complete the process, rendering the exercise a mere formality.
Eligibility for contesting elections is defined by articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution. Returning officers (RO’s) – usually district and session judges – are supposed to verify whether a prospective candidate is qualified to run for elections. Till now, ROs have had to rely solely on the candidates’ own declarations and objections filed by other candidates in order to verify their eligibility.
ECP says that this time around, ROs will be provided computers with an online system to check candidates’ tax and loan history. While the commission has asked the Parliament to increase the scrutiny period to 30 days, the parliamentary panel constituted in this regard will likely only extend it to 14 days.
If implemented in true spirit, many political bigwigs may be barred from taking part in the polls. ECP’s working paper in this regard, available with The Express Tribune, acknowledges that its proposals are unprecedented and may encounter difficulties and resistance in the start. However, it adds that once its proposals start functioning, they would definitely bring about fruitful results.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2013.