Senator Ishaq Dar termed amnesty schemes as another financial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) and its approval in the present form would allow sweeping powers to the tax authorities. The Senate Standing Committee met here on Friday with Nasreen Jalil in the chair for consideration of "The Tax Laws (Amendment) Bill 2012 and refused to give blanket powers to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Senator Ishaq Dar, Nasreen Jalil, Senator Humayun Khan Mandokhel and even Haji Adeel expressed serious concern over the proposed amnesty schemes. Former Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar termed amnesty schemes as another financial NRO and wanted that the FBR should take measures to plug billions of rupees corruption taking place in the form of fake refund claims.
He said the passage of proposed tax amnesty schemes in the existing form with sweeping powers to the FBR and missing links would send a negative message that the people sitting in the parliament are not well-versed with the financial matters. Dar said the approval of the law in the present shape may be challenged in the court. Senator Humayun Mandokhel supporting Senator Ishaq Dar suggested that the government should adopt some other means to increase the tax ratio instead of launching amnesty schemes.
Senator Haji Adeel said honest taxpayers must have been feeling that they have made a mistake by paying taxes as by paying Rs 40,000 under the proposed scheme, they could have become taxpayers without being asked a single question about the past. Adeel also wanted to know why the notices were not issued by the FBR to 2.9 million people. The committee expressed serious concern over the scheme and stated that any decision about the fate of proposed scheme would be taken in light of amended law on January 4, 2012.