Calls for fixing loopholes in tax system
ISLAMABAD
President Dr Arif Alvi has emphasised the need for using the latest technology to curb tax evasion.
Addressing a public awareness seminar for taxpayers on Friday at the President House, the president said that tax evasion is a venom for any country, adding the nations fail due to corruption.
The President stressed that taxation is essential to run the affairs of the country. He said, “Our tax to GDP ratio is merely 10 percent which is very low when compared with the rest of the world. This is the reason we have to take loans.”
He regretted that the people lack the spirit to pay taxes and present different pretexts for not paying taxes. President Alvi said the data is available with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) to bring the potential people into the tax net.
He said loopholes in the system must be curbed. Simultaneously, he said it is essential to build the confidence of the people that their tax money will be used at the right place. The president said there is also a need to arrange tax awareness seminars in other cities where the traders and representatives of chambers of commerce are invited.
President Arif Alvi especially commended the performance of different ombudsmen including that of Federal Tax Ombudsman saying they are swiftly resolving the complaints of the people.
The president said that the government has taken effective decisions during the coronavirus pandemic, which helped in containing its spread. He said the country’s economy is also improving owing to the prudent economic policies of the incumbent government.
President Alvi said that key points of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) governance agenda are to do away with corruption, mismanagement, and menace of mistreatment of the people at the hands of public servants. The FTO is proving to be a key contributor to the state’s responsibility to provide social justice, he added.
The President hailed FTO’s step to involve latest technology and IT gadgets including mobile app, interactive website and social media platforms to facilitate the tax payers in an easy access to FTO for registering, processing and handling complaints as well as publication of annual reports, short documentary and other informative material to disseminate information and awareness among the stakeholders which would ultimately take the pace for benefit of tax payers and revenue collecting authority.
FTO Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera while addressing the seminar said that special attention is being paid to sensitise more and more people about existence, quick and inexpensive redressal of grievances of the taxpayers by the institution of FTO.
Sukhera informed the audience there has been more than 135% increase in the number of complaints received and recommendations made. Pace of disposal of complaints picked momentum when FTO Secretariat adopted digital solutions to organise its load of work.
Sukhera said that out of total 3,888 complaints, 3,555 were disposed of during 2020, and 101 out of 103 recommendations of the FTO were up-held in revision by the competent authority. With strict monitoring and appreciable co-operation by FBR, implementation status has improved to 87.20 percent during the past one year, Sukhera added.
