Sources told Business Recorder here on Friday that Chief Commissioner Regional Tax Office (RTO) Peshawar Qaisar Ali shared his experience of horrifying working atmosphere for tax officials in the KP with the FBR. He referred to recent kidnappings of tax officers posted in Peshawar. A staff member in uniform was also kidnapped and later killed. The incident horrified tax officials working in the said area and caused alarm among the tax officials working within territorial jurisdiction of the KP as they are unable to freely check the tax evasion, fraudulent business and anti-smuggling activities.
The kidnappings of tax officers had also send a negative signal to the tax machinery which is reluctant to be posted within the territorial jurisdiction of KP, sources added. According to the Chief Commissioner RTO Peshawar, "the jurisdiction of RTO, Peshawar is terribly hit by terrorism and un-imaginable dangerous security predicament exits. Many of our officers/ officials were kidnapped whereas one official was martyred. Due to harsh security predicament even our staff cannot use the uniform in the field as one of the officials (Muhammad Yusuf, Naib Qasid) was kidnapped and later martyred in Bara, Khyber Agency as he was in full official uniform."
"Despite the abovementioned terrorism and imaginable dangerous security predicament the officers contacted all the withholding agents in the jurisdiction of this RTO to maximise the collection. The RTO has made efforts to recover and collect the government dues from these potential revenue yielding cases," Qaisar Ali added.
Inspite of adverse circumstances and terrorism, RTOs are striving hard to collect every penny of tax which is evident from RTO's performance. Chief Commissioner is fully confident on the capabilities of his officers and assured the Board that with continuous support and guidance of the FBR, the regional authorities will not only achieve the target but also surpass the same in the ensuing period. Even in adverse conditions/circumstances, the RTO would be in a position to achieve the assigned budgetary target, Chief Commissioner RTO Peshawar added.