Major FBR projects include customs stations

Some major projects of the Revenue Division under Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) include procurement, training and refurbishment of tax offices under Tax Administration Reform Project (TARP), purchase of land/establishment of Tax Facilitation Centres (TFCs), construction of Customs Stations, renovation of hostels and repair/maintenance of existing tax offices/buildings during 2011-12.
Sources told Business Recorder here on Wednesday that PSDP allocation for Revenue Division (FBR) was Rs 1.970 billion for 2011-12 against downward revised 2010-11 allocation of Rs 802 million. The budgetary allocation of PSDP for Revenue Division was Rs 1.235 billion for 2010-11 which was slashed to Rs 802 million. The major component of PSDP ie Rs 1.402 billion, has been allocated for the ongoing projects like procurement of hardware/IT equipment, refurbishment of tax departments and training under the Tax Administration Reform Project (TARP).
The component of GoP allocation under PSDP during 2011-12 has been increased due to corresponding increase in spending in terms of foreign exchange possible through TARP funds which is scheduled to close by the end of this calendar year. The PSPD data showed that construction of new Block in the FBR House would cost Rs 64.335 million during 2011-12; construction of multi-storey office building for Customs House, Mutan, Rs 22.804 million and construction of covered car parking in FBR House would cost Rs 20.249 million during the period under review.
The FBR will spend Rs 30.832 million for addition/alteration/ partitions at Income Tax Office Building Karachi and an amount of Rs 22 million has been allocated for provision of sports facilities at the Directorate General Income Tax (Training and Research) Lahore.
The details of FBR projects further show that the FBR will spend Rs 20 million on construction of the office of Additional Director Intelligence and Investigation Regional office Peshawar, and expansion of Customs guest house Karachi would cost Rs 19.772 million during 2011-12.
The FBR has also allocated Rs 14.990 million on operation of Integrated Cargo/Container Control (IC3) Site at Port Muhammad Bin Qasim Karachi. The acquisition of additional five acres of land for the expansion program of IC-3 at Port Qasim Karachi would cost Rs 12.866 million.
The data shows that construction of hostel adjacent to old Customs House Karachi would cost Rs 17.021 million during 2011-12 and construction of additional office block building for Income Tax Complex at Faisalabad would cost Rs 18.754 million. The FBR is also in the process of constructing TFCs at Gwadar, Okara, Charsadda, Kasur, Rahim Yar Khan, Mandi Bahauddin, Toba Tek Sindh, Jhang, Ghotki, DI Khan and other cities.
The establishment of customs station at Badini at Pak-Afghan border would cost Rs 4.886 million and another customs station at Qamar-ud-Din Karez & Friendship gate would cost Rs 5.250 million during 2011-2012. Beside other projects, construction of two additional floors at the RTO Karachi would cost Rs 20 million during 2011-12. Under the PSDP allocation, the FBR would spend Rs 12 million on residential accommodation for Income Tax at Quetta during 2011-12.