Taxpayers’ facilitation: Banks told to implement ‘DIRBS’ in AJK and GB

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has asked banks for implementation of Device Identification Registration & Blocking System (DIRBS) in territorial jurisdiction of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) & Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) to facilitate the taxpayers.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in coordination with Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had developed DIRBS system across Pakistan for the purpose of generating challans/Payment System ID (PSID) and its payment through banks’ Alternate Delivery Channel (ADC) Over-the-Counter (OTC) facility and ATMs. Now, PTA intends to roll out the DIRBS system across AJK and GB region on similar lines for the convenience of the general public intending to register their mobile devices.

According to the SBP, with a view to ensure that taxpayers have the facility to pay the DIRBS duty or levy through OTC and ATMs facility, all Commercial and Microfinance Banks are advised to make available this payment facility at their branches located within the territorial jurisdiction of AJK and GB. Furthermore, necessary instructions by the banks may also be issued to concerned branches to depute officials who are well-versed with the DIRBS system.

The SBP, in 2018, has already issued directives for online collection of government taxes and duties collection of government taxes through 1-link OTC facility and all the banks and MFBIs were asked to activate the 1-Link OTC facility to facilitate their clients particularly corporate clients and SMEs in payment of the FBR taxes and duties.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023