KARACHI – The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has approached the ministry of finance and chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) against the perceived inappropriate behaviour of a FBR official towards the chamber.
Through a letter, KCCI/MSS (P)/1-8/57/2010-2011/3857-60 dated January 20, 2011, communicated to the ministry and the FBR chairman, KCCI has strongly protested the conduct of a FBR official in Karachi and his treatment of one of the KCCI’s managing committee members, apparently with regard to a tax issue. It went on to demand an apology from the body.
According to sources in the KCCI, FBR Intelligence and Investigation Additional Director Wasif Memon allegedly spoke in a harsh tone to KCCI Managing Committee Member Munir Godil, during a meeting in the FBR regional office.
It was also claimed that Memon used highly offensive language with the KCCI president when the former enquired of Godil’s mistreatment at the hands of the official, they said. In addition, the FBR official commented on a previous meeting that FBR Chairman Salman Siddique held with KCCI office bearers last week, saying that the KCCI had strong-armed the chairman in attending the event and that the whole affair had been a waste of time.”
According to the letter, the KCCI is apparently shocked by the attitude of the FBR and stressed that it was a matter of utmost concern that on one hand, the chairman assured the KCCI of his support while on the other hand the behaviour of its officials was contrary to the orders of Chairman.
During the aforementioned meeting, Godil was apparently slighted by the FBR official who disregarded the recommendations of the KCCI president, it said. It went on to say that the FBR chairman in his meeting with KCCI had stated “I, through this platform, want to give a clear message to all FBR officials that corruption will not be tolerated, an error of judgment is a mistake but ill-intentioned actions will not be forgiven.” “In the light of his statement, we have taken his speech as a policy guideline for future in FBR, therefore KCCI demand stern action against Wasif Memon, for his actions and offensive attitude towards both the president and executive member of KCCI and the submission of a written apology,” KCCI President Muhammad Saeed Shafeeq stressed.
He went on to say that, “the chamber also strongly urges that persons like Wasif Memon must not be appointed in responsible positions and be replaced by honest and friendly officers”. KCCI has also forwarded the same comminique to Federal Minister of Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, , Federal Tax Ombudsman Dr Muhammad Shoaib Suddle.
