Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Revenue Haroon Khan has said the FBR has been making concerted efforts for the broadening of tax base and the focus has shifted from burdening the existing taxpayers to finding new taxpayers. "All our energies are now concentrated on finding new taxpayers through an extensive taxpayer outreach programme which has helped us get a significant number of additional taxpayers till now as compared to the corresponding period last year," he said while addressing the office-bearers and members of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry during his visit to the Chamber here on Thursday. Chairman FBR Tariq Mahmood Pasha and other members of the FBR also accompanied him.

The meeting was also attended by the office-bearers and members of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Haroon Khan said the government deeply valued the taxpayers and the contribution they had made to the revenue generation and resource mobilization efforts of the FBR in recent years. "It is through the support and cooperation of our valued taxpayers the FBR has been able to register 73 per cent revenue growth during the last four years," he said.

He said the FBR had decided to go after the non-filers and three zones had been created in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad with a view to broadening the tax base and getting more taxpayers in the tax net. "We hope this year we would be able to get significantly more tax filers," he added. To a question, he said the government had paid special attention to the problem of stuck sales tax refunds and as against Rs 26 billion sales tax refunds given last year, the government had in the first four months of the current year given away Rs 40 billion tax refunds which reflect its commitment to facilitating the business community.

To another question, Haroon Khan said the FBR had conveyed clear instructions to its field formations to treat taxpayers with due respect and attention and any incident involving intimidation or harassment of taxpayers would not be brooked. Chairman FBR Tariq Mahmood Pasha and other members of the FBR also spoke on the occasion and addressed questions and concerns of the business community. Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry's President Sheikh Amir Waheed and Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry's President Zahid Latif expressed their gratefulness to Haroon Khan and the FBR team for addressing and allaying their concerns and misgivings.

Meanwhile, Haroon Khan also held a meeting with a delegation of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) at the FBR House on Thursday. He listened to their issues and problems and assured them the fullest government support for their resolution. Senior Members of the FBR were also present on the occasion.-PR

Copyright Business Recorder, 2017