The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has asked the traders community to have a meeting with it on Friday (September 27) to discuss issues of documentation, registration and condition of computerized national identity cards (CNIC) numbers of unregistered buyers.
Senior FBR officials told Business Recorder here on Monday that the traders' union representatives including All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran (APAT) Chairman Ajmal Baloch, Central General Secretary Naeem Mir and others are expected to participate in the meeting.
However, Chairman APAT Ajmal Baloch, when contacted by Business Recorder, denied any such development, saying neither any contact has been made by the FBR for such a meeting, nor the traders are ready to hold any such parley. The FBR sources claimed that the meeting between the FBR and traders would be held on coming Friday at the FBR House to address all their concerns as, according to sources, some leaders of traders have agreed to have a meeting on the aforementioned day.
To a query, the FBR officials said that only Parliament can withdraw the provision of the CNIC which is part of the Finance Act 2019. If the Parliament amends the Finance Act 2019, the condition of the CNIC would be withdrawn.
The government has taken a key documentation measure by imposing the condition of providing CNIC on supplies to unregistered persons through the Finance Act 2019.
However, the FBR will not take any adverse action against traders in relation to the condition of provision of CNIC numbers till September 30. The condition of the CNIC as per Finance Act 2019 would remain intact but no adverse action would be taken against the traders till September 30.
The FBR will convey the concerns of the traders' community to the high-up for finalization of any decision or changes in the tax laws, if required, they added.