TPB's meeting to discuss FBR's proposed reforms put off

The meeting of the Tax Policy Board (TPB) for initiating policy discussion on proposed reforms agenda of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) as well as timeline and broad strategy for the next budget 2018-19 has again been postponed.
The maiden meeting of the TPB was earlier called on December 12 but it was postponed at the eleventh hour. The meeting was again called on January 4 at Finance Ministry but it was also postponed.
The Tax Policy Board meeting would be attended by ex-officio members i.e. Finance Minister Asad Umer, Minister of Privatisation Muhammadmian Soomro and Senator Farooq H Naik, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Finance. However, the nominated members, who are still to be notified, would attend the meeting as observers. The nominated members are Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azher, Senator Kauda Babar, Adviser for Commerce, Industries & Textile Industries Abdul Razak Dawood, information technology professional Syed Javed, NADRA Chairman Usman Yousaf Mobin, former FBR Chairman Abdullah Yousaf, economist Dr Ijaz Nabi and former FBR Chairman Salman Siddique.
The government has yet to notify the separation of tax policy and tax administration from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) even more than one month after its approval from the cabinet. The cabinet on November 29 last approved separation of tax policy from revenue administration and constituted a committee to work out legal and technical modalities.
The Finance Ministry has not yet given any new date to the FBR for the meeting on separation of tax policy and the FBR.
Under the rule 35 of the Rules of Business issued by Cabinet Division, the primary functions of the Revenue Division are tax policy and tax administration. The powers of tax policy are needed to be taken away from the Revenue Division through changes in the Rules of Business. The words 'tax policy' are required to be omitted from the functions of the Revenue Division. So far, Cabinet's Division's Rules of Business have not been amended, the sources added.
The six nominated members of the Tax Policy Board (TPB) are required to be cleared from standing committees of finance of the National Assembly and Senate. Following ratification from the committees, the government will notify the names of the nominated members of the TPB.