Voice: ‘Consolidate provincial tax collection under one ministry’

OICCI suggests restructuring taxation measures.

KARACHI: The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) has suggested the Sindh government to integrate all three provincial revenue collection bodies into a single one to provide one-window operations facilities to the taxpayers.

OICCI representatives requested this during a session with Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) Chairman Tashfeen Khalid Niaz.

OICCI President Asad S Jafar stressed the need for SRB and major stakeholders like OICCI to remain closely engaged.

OICCI extended its support to the Sindh government in its efforts to increase revenue collection and streamline the taxation structure of the province so that all segments of society, including those engaged in agriculture, make a contribution to the development of the province.

Jafar added that the OICCI proposals for the Sindh Fiscal Budget 2014-15 highlights some restructuring measures to facilitate investment and economic activity besides suggestions for broadening the tax base and review of the basis of taxation for agricultural income.

OICCI Secretary General M Abdul Aleem said that the country’s fast deteriorating position in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Index is alarming.

“Pakistan has sharply slipped from being 75 in 2010 to 110 in 2014 which has had considerable negative implications in attracting foreign direct investment in the country,” said Aleem. “One of the key irritants in EODB has been the complications on paying taxes, including provincial and local taxes.”

OICCI’s 2014-15 taxation proposals to the Sindh government include integration of the current three revenue collection agencies into one, taxing all incomes including agriculture activities related income and full coordination between all the provincial revenue boards to clearly identify jurisdictional issues which are creating problems for taxpayers.

It also asked the Sindh government to reduce sales tax rates and bring uniformity for all kinds of business activities. Furthermore, it urged for clarity for taxable services and exemption, for withholding agents from deducting sales tax from unregistered vendors.

SRB Chairman Niaz invited OICCI members to share their issues and promised that the board will immediately look into the matter for a possible solution.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2014.

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