Government urged to clip FBR's powers

The FPCCI on Saturday asked the centre to clip FBR's powers of deducting from bank accounts of businessmen without a notice, which it equated to 'robbery'. The FPCCI also complained about the FBR's 'bad' and disrespect towards the businessmen community. "The FBR's attitude to the businessmen is too bad," president FPCCI, Zubair Tufail told Governor Punjab, Rafique Rajwana during a meeting at the Federation House.
He drew the Governor Punjab's attention to the FBR's graceless attitude and unfavourable practices that hurt the business environment drastically. He also alleged the FRB for facilitating 'tax evasion' in the country and such other illegal practices.
In addition, he sought the help of Governor Punjab to put the businessmen's case before the federal government regarding higher tariffs of gas and electricity leaving exports uncompetitive on the world markets. He said that the federal government should play its role in developing Karachi that generates 65 percent of the total national revenue, annually.
The president FPCCI said that the Karachi's construction sector is facing a ban by the Supreme Court on developing high-rise structure for a shortage of basic infrastructure especially inadequate water supplies. The ban, he said, forced the construction sector to face huge financial loss as hundreds of projects are under way. He said that the federal government should improve water supplies to Karachi, at earliest.
He also requested the Governor to help the businessmen getting rid of bills of gas infrastructure development cess (GIDC) with a retrospective effect of the last three years that the federal government has imposed on the local industry. He also raised a question on the government policy of bailing out the 'loss making' Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Pakistan Steel Mills with taxpayers money.
Waheed Ahmed, a fruit and vegetable exporter, also demanded the federal government to subsidize kinnow export to Russia with $2500 per container to make the fruit competitive on the Eastern European markets against the rival countries. He said Iran has suspended imports from Pakistan and rather making its export to the country. He also sought research and development (R&D) for agriculture crops.
Former Chief Executive, TDAP, S M Muneer said that the country's industrial sector is near to die since the government has ignored its problems that stockpiled with a passage of time. He claimed that he resigned as CE of TDAP in protest after former premier Nawaz Sharif gave a cold shoulder to him while he proposed a meeting with him to reach a solution on the industrial and economic crisis.
He also called the FBR as 'python' for holding up billion of rupees refunds of the exporters. He said that the PM should heed upon the businessmen's complaints and should avoid directions from bureaucracy. He demanded that the government should print more currency notes to pay refunds to the exporters.
In a reply to the FPCCI concerns and demands, Rajwana admitted that the businessmen community's clamour against the tax collector and central government is justified. He said that the FBR's holding of Rs 300 billion refunds would have triggered liquidity crunch to the exporters to run their businesses. On GIDC he also supported the FPCCI demand, saying that the businessmen cannot chase the consumers whom they have served years back to pay the cess with a retrospective effect.
He said that the FBR should not cause troubles to the taxpaying businessmen and warned that such a policy will unleash divestment and that will result in unemployment in the country. He assured the FPCCI that he will make a request to the federal government to take the issue to its solution. He said that the affected industry cannot generate employment, either. He said that a stable economy is a guarantee to a sustainable democracy.
Rajwana also wanted to end to the bureaucratic red-tape that keeps circulating the investors' business files from office to office without solving their problems. He said that the bureaucracy should change its attitude towards the businessmen as the global bureaucratic norms have developed into favouring practices for public and investors. Scores of questions particularly from newsmen, he refused to reply. Vice President FPCCI, Ishtiaq Baig gave a vote of thanks.