There have been frequent reports of sales tax refund frauds whereby some unscrupulous elements of trade have defrauded the national exchequer by obtaining heavy sales tax refunds against fake documents/companies. Roughly billions of rupees have gone out of national kitty under the garb of refunds to exporters. This could not have been possible without the involvement of tax machinery.
It is reliably learnt that recently another refund fraud case was unearthed on the report of a bank manager, who reportedly informed the concerned authorities in Karachi that a refund cheque of rupees 1,93,00,000 is presented in his branch for encashment against an account which was recently opened.
When the authorities investigated the case it was revealed that some departmental officials were involved in this fraud that has also approached the bank for encashment of the cheque. These officials were identified by the bank manager through photographs.
It is also learned that the whole computerised refund processing system was over-rolled and bypassed by these officials who managed to file refund claim in the name of a company which has been a nil return filer since long.
They got it processed with the connivance of their colleagues posted in the refund section and managed to get it easily sanctioned without any hurdle from the high-up reportedly against a high percentage as bribery. Thanks to the responsible bank manager the authorities were compelled to take immediate action and the concerned officials/officers were reportedly transferred from refund to some other postings (eg law branch).
No inquiry or criminal proceedings have yet been initiated against those officials who were directly involved in the case and had reportedly gone underground, and were identified by the bank manager.
It appears that this case will also be buried after taking some cosmetic action.
Would the chairman CBR fulfil his pledge of reward for honest and efficient officials and punishment for dishonest and inefficient?
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