Mian Nasser Hyatt Maggo, President FPCCI, has commended the efforts of office of Federal Tax Ombudsman of Pakistan in attempting to eradicate corruption and harassment by the tax collection machinery of FBR. FTO has rightfully identified the practices in FBR responsible for issuing fake, forged, illegitimate and fictitious notices to the business community and their banks to unlawfully take access to their bank details, transactions and balances, he added.
Mian Nasser Hyatt Maggo maintained that this practice by FBR is an unlawful and questionable use of the Section 176 of Income Ordinance 2001; and, he considers it an exercise and conspiracy against economic growth and development of Pakistan. SMEs, in particular, are more vulnerable and prone to this kind of abuse by the authorities; as they can not hire expensive lawyers and spend their time to challenge the unfair notices at the relevant legal forums.
Mian Nasser Hyatt Maggo said that he is pleasantly surprised the accountability being carried out by the honourable FTO without any fear, interference and vested interests in this regard, for which the investigation be done and exemplary punishments be given by FTO to tax officials found responsible on account of issuing fake and unauthorized notices by tax officials to access bank accounts; instead of recommending FBR to probe the misuse of authorities by its own tax officials; which internal inquiries by FBR in most of cases remain dormant and inconclusive. Resultantly, the corrupt and compromised officials in the tax collection machinery has joined hands against even the inspections ordered by FTO by filing unauthorized petitions against the office of FTO. President FPCCI wondered, if tax machinery officials were authorized by government to challenge constitutional office of FTO in ordering inspections per law.
