FPCCI to support all positive steps of FBR to put economy back on tract

FBR seeks FPCCI, business community’s help to broaden tax base

Reduced taxes to boost revenue, curb illicit trade: Malik Zubair

FPCCI to support all positive steps of FBR to put economy back on tract

Islamabad: Dated: May 30^th

Ansar Javed, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Thursday said Pakistan’s future is linked to promotion of tax culture and we are determined to improve tax-to-GDP ratio to make Pakistan a respectable and self-sustaining nation.

He said that we have chalked out a plan to promote tax culture in country for which many steps have been initiated including establishment of a Data Warehouse which will boost the number of taxpayers from existing 1.3 million to 20 million.

Ansar Javed said this while speaking at a pre-budget seminar organised by FPCCI. President FPCCI Zubair Ahmed Malik, Members FBR Muhammad Riaz and Raza Baqir, VP Saarc CCI Iftikhar Ali Malik, Chairman FPCCI Budget Committee Zakaria Usman, VPs FPCCI Azhar Saeed Butt, Muhammad Ali, Khawaja Iqbal, President ICCI Zafar Bakhtawri and others were also present on the occasion.

Chairman FBR said that meeting business community help us to get first-hand knowledge and reaction of the stakeholders which will help us improve performance and ensure a level playing field.

“We are seriously vetting budget proposals to facilitate business community and we need support of FPCCI to expand the tax base,” the chief of Apex tax agency said.

He said that we are employing latest technology alter to local needs, to facilitate taxpayers and discourage misuse of authority by field staff.

Assuring all support to the business community, Ansar Javed said that FBR is not supposed to collect taxes only but to take care of economic direction of the country and play its role in development of society.

Earlier, President FPCCI Mr. Zubair Ahmed Malik told Chairman FBR said that country is passing through difficult situation due to mismanagement, bad governance, deteriorating law and order situation and energy crunch which have increased the crime rate, unemployment and revenue loss.

However, he said, FPCCI will support all the positive steps of FBR to put economy back on tract, assured Malik. 

VP FPCCI Iftikhar Ali Malik and Minister for Information Technology Sindh, Mian Zahid Hussain and office bearers of various business chambers said that SRO culture should be discouraged as it serves no purpose but to confuses businessmen.

Consultation with business community before issuance of SROs and other directives should be made mandatory to boost confidence, they demanded.

FPCCI officials said that subsidy given to different sectors to the tune of Rs 452 amounts to wasting the hard-earned money of taxpayers which should be abolished or minimised.

Criticising the Sales Tax regime, they said that it is not progressive but regressive which is not helping in any way.

Participants of the seminar also discussed issues pertaining to recent economic downturn, revenue targets, mismanagement, tax relaxations, confusing rules and regulations, continuation in policies, tax breaks, increasing share of parallel economy in the national GDP, registration and deregistration process, and overall tax environment.

The Chairman FBR promised to respond to the issue raised by business leaders within seven days.