Saturday, April 27, 2024

No ambiguity in tax amnesty scheme, says FBR Chairman Shabbar Zaidi

No ambiguity in tax amnesty scheme, says FBR Chairman Shabbar Zaidi
May 18, 2019
KARACHI (92 News) – Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Shabbar Zaidi has said that there is no ambiguity in the tax amnesty scheme which will not be changed. Addressing traders at Karachi Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, he said that relief can be given on some raw material, which cannot be exempted from tax. He said that smuggling is going on other than the Afghan transit trade which is a political issue. “I have stopped the officers from freezing accounts in order to get tax,” he said, adding that he had asked the officers to receive the tax after serving 24-hour notice. The FBR chairman said that their own people are responsible for smuggling, which is forbidden by religion. He said that traders will have to jointly work with the government to save the country. He said that he had stopped the security agencies from harassing traders and FBR officers. “The dollar is soaring, while the rupee is devaluing. This matter is not related to me,” he maintained. Shabbar Raza said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had not formed a committee regarding the foreign currency. “Detailed discussions are going on to control Hundi business,” he said. He disclosed that over 30 percent accounts are ‘benami’ and their tax return has not been shown. “These accounts are opened in the morning and closed in the evening,” he said.
IHC moved against appointment of Shabbar Zaidi as FBR chairman
On Friday, the appointment of Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Shabbar Zaidi was challenged in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Ali Muhammad, a BPS-19 officer, contended in a petition that competent officers should be considered for appointment to the FBR chairman. He appealed to the court to nullify the appointment of the FBR chairman. He prayed to court to stop the appointments in the FBR from the private sector. The petitioner stated that discriminatory attitude should not be adopted towards the regular officers of the board. The Federal Board of Revenue chairman has been made a party in the petition.