It is not less than an irony that the officers promoted against these five upgraded posts have had never been posted on these slots, they added. This is evident from the fact that one Ra'na Seerat was promoted to BS-22 but she continued against a post of BS-21. Similarly, Rukhsana Yasmeen, another officer, was sent to the Directorate of Training after her promotion to BS-22 and later she was withdrawn even from this assignment. Similarly, a few others were sent to the posts of BS-21 after their promotion to BS-22. The case of Nasir Masroor was even more interesting who was posted as Member Customs by upgrading the post specific to him but he was shunted out again within two days to a post of BS-21. Not a single officer of BS-22, other than the Chairman FBR, is functioning on its position either on the operation or policy side.
The tax experts are questioning whether five posts were created to utilise the excellent expertise of these officers or not. "It seems that the whole exercise took place simply to earn perks and privileges," said one tax consultant. He further pointed out that the FBR strategy is quite in line with the government policy of appointing junior officers on higher position in order to twist and tale them for obvious reason.
The FBR sources said the Central Selection Board, which held a meeting for recommending the officers for promotion from BS-20 to BS-21 and from BS-19 to BS-20 had raised no objections to the candidates appearing before them. It is however, irony of the fact or in the fitness of things that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, on the basis of his non-bureaucratic perception, declined to approve recommendations of the CSB, which included eight officers promoted from BS-20 to BS-21 in IRS, 15 from BS-19 to BS-20 in IRS and eight in Customs.
Tax experts said how the Prime Minister can deny promotion mere on the basis of perception which would differ from person to person. "Promotion of the officers should have been on the basis of their professional record as well as general reputation as laid down by the Supreme Court in famous case of Oria Maqbool Jan versus Government of Pakistan," said one tax lawyer.
A few tax experts have also questioned the transparency in promotion procedure. In the first instance, the CSB should not have recommended an officer who was carrying objectionable spots on his professional career. A few senior officers, on the condition of anonymity, suggested that the present Chairman in capacity of Member IRS posted officers of BS-20 on post of BS-21 as Chief Commissioner Sialkot, Gujranwala and Sargodha but these officers were not approved for promotion. Similar was the case of DG Customs Valuation who too has not been promoted. It would be appropriate if the competent authority hold responsible the FBR management for posting such officers who have suffered from professional or moral integrity.
They said the FBR is bread and butter winner for the government and the state but the conduct of high-ups suggest that it has become bread and butter for those sitting at helm of affairs. "The tax collection is generally made at the source while it has very limited tax base consisting upon less than a few lacs in a population of 200 million," said another expert. The FBR insiders have pointed out that the World Bank has spent more than $100 million on the TRAP program but the way the officers are being shunted in and out raises a question mark on the very existence of the FBR.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017