FBR concerned at drop in revenue collection

Chairman urges business community to work with govt for country’s progress.

ISLAMABAD: The Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Ansar Javed, has taken serious note of the fall in revenue and started marathon meetings within the FBR. A statement of the FBR issued here on Monday said that after assuming charge, the chairman has started hectic consultations with stakeholders. The Chief Commissioners have been directed to devolve strategies to achieve the freshly assigned budget targets. The Chairman has also directed officials to immediately issue letters to all the Regional Tax Offices and Large Taxpayers Units highlighting their performance and has directed that remedial strategies be made to ensure collection of the assigned targets for the last quarter ending June 30, 2013.

In a separate meeting with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) in Lahore Javed pointed out that the FBR is facing a nearly 30% shortfall in revenue collection target set for the current fiscal year which he hoped will be achieved till the end of June through good governance by appointing officers of highest degrees of integrity coupled with professional competence. He was talking to newly elected President FPCCI ZubairAhmad Malik, federation vice presidents and Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry office bearers on Sunday at a reception hosted in his honour by Vice President SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Iftikhar Ali Malik. Javed said that the FBR and Federal Ministry of Finance will give due weight to all concrete and viable proposals from the FPCCI and other chambers and that he will hold meetings with FPCCI in this regard, promising that the FPPCI will always be taken into confidence on budget proposals.



He said that he had also directed all members, chief commissioners, chief collectors, commissioners and collectors to redress problems being confronted by traders, importers and exporters. However Javed said that in return the business community must pay their due taxes timely and contribute their share towards nation building. He said that the business community always contributed a major chunk towards national exchequer, and their proposals will be taken into consideration not only to increase revenue collection but also improve the national economy. The Chairman said direct interaction of private sector at the highest level would yield positive results in addition to restoring the confidence of foreign and local investors.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th, 2013.

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