He was talking to reporters after inaugurating 82nd anniversary function of CBR here on Saturday. He said that these frivolous cases were not backed by proper legal provisions, and were being withdrawn from different judicial forums. These over 70 percent frivolous cases were filed before tribunals, High Courts and Supreme Court. Total 2,000 frivolous cases have been withdrawn from the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) alone, he added.
He said that that CBR "is committed" to clear the backlog of pending cases by the end of the current year. The special bench of Supreme Court would take up all the pending cases during April. It is expected that all such pending cases would be disposed of, he added.
The CBR Chairman said that the Board had submitted the draft of new reward rules to the Prime Minister for approval.
He said that CBR should have full autonomy to smoothly carry out the day-to-day operations. The Revenue Division already has more autonomy as compared to other government departments. However, this autonomy is not as per requirement of the Board.
He said that the new Member, Audit, would be appointed by the end of this month. He would be an experienced chartered accountant with full command over tax-related issues, particularly the audit policy, he added.
Abdullah observed that UAE government would provide data about Pakistani investors who have purchased property in the UAE under the convention of avoidance of double taxation and fiscal evasion. He hoped that the UAE government would provide the information after thoroughly going through the request.
About zero-rating of more items in the next budget, he said that decision of sales tax zero-rating of five major export sectors in current fiscal year had been successful. If any other leading export sector wants it, the CBR would analyse the quantum of refunds and other relevant factors before zero-rating it.
He said that the issue pertaining to past refund cases of zero-rated sectors would also be resolved. The CBR has already paid a huge amount as sales tax refund to clear the backlog.
Addressing the employees, the CBR Chairman said that two government departments ie motorway Police and CBR, have offered double pay package to their employees. However, the employees have to work hard to prove that they deserve the package.
He said that the role of information technology was very important during automation processes. The infrastructure development, training of employees and IT are necessary for proper functioning of the Regional Tax Offices (RTOs).
During the ongoing reforms, the CBR is focusing on high efficiency and transparency through proper training of its employees. Around 25,000 employees are serving the taxpayers countrywide. "We have to take into consideration the changes taking place rapidly at the international level," he said.
On the occasion, 99 employees of Grades 1 to 15 were awarded certificates of performance, and the Chairman also announced special cash efficiency awards.