An urgent meeting of Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Sales Tax Officers Association of Pakistan (STOAP) was held on Sunday through a video link to finalize action plan after continuous discriminatory treatment of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in promotions of BS-16 to BS-21 without considering recommendations of "Steering Committee for restructuring of FBR".
According to the STOAP, this discrimination was again displayed while recently promoting 260 officials/officers of FBR pertaining to BS-16 to BS-21 wherein not even a single Sales Tax Officer has been considered for promotion. It is also in violation of equal rights and privileges ensured under Article 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Despite the fact that the STOAP had already submitted its detailed proposals before a high-powered committee, constituted by the Chairman, FBR in May, 2019 to resolve long standing promotion related issues of the Sales Tax Officers within two months. FBR authorities, while promoting other Officers, didn't even bother to have an insight into those proposals.
The CEC members were also surprised that a huge number of promotions were made even before the implementation of proposals of the "Steering Committee for Restructuring of FBR" constituted vide FBR's Order No.1 (4) Misc. M (TPA)/2019 Dated 18.12.2019, wherein President of STOAP Raza Ashfaq Sheikh, being its member, presented detailed proposals for the redressal of career related issues of all cadres of sales tax.
All the participants were of the view that FBR has purposely engaged the STOAP into Committee affairs to keep the Association busy without any practical outcome.
FBR has been continuously promoting other officers without considering any Officer of Sales Tax cadre. It was also condemned that the FBR authorities after converting a number of vacant Sales Tax positions into Inland Revenue Service have extended the benefit of promotion to other cadres and has knowingly usurped the right for promotion of the Sales Tax Officers who have never been promoted in almost 25 years.
The CEC members urged FBR to take cognizance of STOAP's proposals that had already been submitted before the high powered committee constituted in May, 2019 and also before "Steering Committee for Restructuring of FBR".
It was urged by STOAP that FBR may immediately take action on the already submitted proposals without any further delay. It was agreed that in case no action is taken by FBR, the next course of action will be decided with the mutual consent of the STOAP CEC members as soon as the current Corona Virus pandemic situation alleviates.
All the CEC members of the association showed their sympathies for the families who lost their loved ones in this pandemic and prayed for early recovery of all the victims of the disease. The video conference was ended up after a vote of thanks by the President, STOAP.