President Alvi links ease of doing business with effective tax system

President Alvi links ease of doing business with effective tax system.

President Dr. Arif Alvi addressed the public awareness seminar on Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) at the Aiwan-e-Sadr Islamabad on Friday.

He stressed the need for an effective taxation system in the country to ensure ease of doing business.

President Alvi links ease of doing business with effective tax system

Furthermore, he also called for encouraging people to join the tax-net.

He said tax evasion could prove detrimental for economies and hindered the overall national progress.

The seminar gathered representatives from Federal Board of Revenue, chambers of commerce and relevant tax functionaries.

They came on special interest of President Alvi to apprise masses about the platform of FTO for speedy justice on tax-related grievances.

President Albi said FTO put a check on the acts and decisions of the FBR in response to public grievance.

Thus it presented a balance of authority and accountability between the two institutions.

“Pakistan needs a departmental system where the authority could be held accountable in the interest of common man,” he said.

Emphasizing the need for a simplified and tax-friendly environment to encourage the people fulfill their national obligation, the president said lack of trust on tax-collecting bodies and their corruption were the main factors of tax evasion.

Over 100 delegations of traders and businessmen

He recalled of meeting over 100 delegations of traders and businessmen in last few years.

They showed readiness to pay taxes but expressed apprehensions about the present tax system.

The President called for fixing the loopholes in tax system by putting in place effective checks with use of tools of technology and digitalization to ensure transparency.

However, he said, such system of check and balance must not create delays to the inconvenience of tax payers.

The president said an effective tax system would help eliminate corruption from the society.

Otherwise, corruption gravely affecting the poor in view of their unsustainability to the economic scenario.

President Alvi expressed confidence that the seminar would raise awareness about FTO as an institution.

The institution which issued their decision within 45 days pertaining to the maladministration of government departments falling in their jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, Federal Tax Ombudsman Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera also spoke.

He said FTO was working efficiently with its mandate to investigate, redress and rectify maladministration of tax bodies. Besides, it issues necessary recommendations.

Avoid regressive taxation

He proposed that to avoid regressive taxation, reforms were necessary with an aim to impose the rate of taxation in accordance with the different income groups, instead of the uniform taxes on poor and rich.

Moreover, Secretary Tax Adviser Dr. Arsalan Sabuktagin shared a presentation on FTO.

He further said formed in 2002, the statutory office had been providing speedy and cost-free redressal of any person’s grievances arising out of corruption or maladministration of tax functionaries of the Federal Board of Revenue.

He said the complaint filed was registered with a number followed by an investigation by the Adviser and the departmental response with a decision to be taken within 45-90 days.

To promote good governance, he said, several own motion cases were initiated by FTO in areas of bogus registrations, fake invoices, smuggled vehicles, illegal export of gold, and electronic auction.

He mentioned that to facilitate general public, the FTO was pursuing technology-based initiatives including the CMIS content-sharing software, online facility and mobile application to file complaints and a user-friendly website with its Urdu version.

GTV