PAC expresses annoyance with FBR performance

ISLAMABAD: The sub-committee of Public Account Committee (PAC) on Tuesday expressed its displeasure over unsatisfactory performance of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and directed its chairman to submit report about the pending paras within one month after holding Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) meetings.

Yasmeen Rehman, Convener of the committee, expressed her concerns by saying that time and again the PAC had directed FBR to hold its meaningful DAC's meetings for settling of 399 pending audit paras but FBR officials were not taking seriously its directives.

The committee, which met under the leadership of Yasmeen Rehman in the National Assembly Secretariat, discussed appropriation of accounts of the Federal Board of Revenue for the year 2004-05, 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Chairman FBR Salman Siddique informed the committee that recovery of Rs154 billion taxes from the public and private sectors' cases are pending in the Supreme Court and High Courts.

The committee directed the chairman to provide list of pending cases within one month so that PAC could ask the Attorney General of Pakistan to play its role for the disposal of cases expeditiously.

Discussing another pending para of recovery, MNA Noor Alam asked the Chairman FBR to submit report of pending tax recoveries against the multinational companies, National Institutions and people besides, their payable tax receipts.

Member legal of FBR told the committee that department could not provide the list of the persons due to legal and security reasons.

However, PAC directed the FBR to provide the list of those companies, not paying taxes.

Noor Alam also observed that Customs department was engaged in collecting revenue for itself instead of collecting tax for national exchequer. He asked the chairman to take notice of its poor performance and take effective steps for bringing betterment in the Customs.

Audit informed that Pakistan Revenue Automation Ltd (PRAL) did not give information about the tax payers.

Member committee MNA, Haider Abbas Rizvi asked the Chairman PRAL as to why he did not provide data to audit officials despite the fact that PRAL was working under the FBR.

The chairman PRAl said that it was a secret data and under the rules, the department could provide information about tax payers to the audit.

The Chairman FBR directed the PRAL to cooperate with audit officials and provide them necessary data on priority basis.

The meeting was attended by MNAs Qamar Zaman Kaira, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Sardar Ayyaz Sadiq and senior officials of the Audit and FBR.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011