Directors at each NAB office to address business community concerns: Chairman

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal said on Tuesday that he had appointed a full-time director at each regional office including Headquarters (HQs) to deal with the complaints of the business community, but so far they did not receive any complaint.

Addressing the businessmen at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI), he called upon them to take advantage of the services of the directors as they were there to allay their concerns.

He said the business community was the backbone of the economy as it was rendering great services to the country by promoting business activities, providing jobs, increasing exports and bringing foreign exchange to the country.

“NAB will never take any action to harass any genuine businessman, but will go after those who commit fraud with people,” he added.

The chairman said NAB had never asked any businessman about his source of capital and investment, except in money laundering cases.

NAB had never stopped any investment project as they were greatly contributing to strengthen the country’s economy, he added.

The chairman said he had already issued instructions to NAB authorities that no businessman should be called through telephone to NAB office nor should be humiliated in any manner.

He asked the ICCI to forward the list of cases of the business community, assuring them that it would be decided within 30 days except those cases, which were sub-judice in courts.

Javed Iqbal said he was ready to set up a dedicated desk of NAB at ICCI for better coordination.

He said NAB had transferred all tax related and under invoices cases of business community to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and no such case of business community was currently pending with his institution.

He said that if any businessman has any complaint against NAB, he should approach the Director of concerned area while he was also available on the last Thursday of every month for listening to the complaints of people.

NAB had helped return around Rs 5 billion of stuck-up investment from two housing societies to people in Islamabad/Rawalpindi and Lahore.

ICCI President Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan lauded the efforts of the chairman NAB for elimination of corruption and said that reducing corruption and promoting transparency would help better growth of business and investment activities.

He said NAB’s positive role was acknowledged by Transparency International, World Economic Forum and many other international bodies, which showed its constructive services for the country.

He said that doing business in Pakistan was quite challenging and stressed that the government should focus on promoting ease of doing business to put the country on the path of sustainable economic growth.