ISLAMABAD – The special committee of the Public Accounts Committee on Monday directed senior officials of the Federal Board of Revenue to lodge criminal FIRs against corrupt officials and present a report before the committee within 15 days.
The committee, which met with Riaz Hussain Pirzada in the chair, reviewed audit objections of the ministries of Defence, Defence Production, Science and Technology and the FBR.
While settling an audit objection of the Ministry of Defence, Pirzada directed the ministry to ensure the recovery of 0.45 million from the officials who had used official residences and submit a report within a month. The audit officials informed the PAC that there was no record available of embezzlement of Rs 1.65 billion in the FBR. Pirzada regretted and called for reforms in the FBR, as according to him, the lacunas in the FBR were discouraging investor to invest in the country.
FBR official Mehmood Alam informed the PAC that the tax and custom recovery cases of Rs 120 billion were pending with courts.
He said despite repeated requests for the establishment of separate benches, no attention had been paid towards the issue. Alam said the FBR had identified 700,000 people who owned huge bungalows and cars but were not paying taxes. He said a campaign would be launched against such tax evaders within two months. “Before launching the operation, the FBR would urge these tax evaders to submit their tax returns voluntarily,” he added. Alam said some FBR record was also gutted in a fire incident.
Pirzada directed for a probe, saying FIRs should be lodged against the perpetrators behind the crime. Alam told PAC that the FBR had expedited recoveries from tax evading banks. The PAC directed the banks to make payments, as the country was already facing a financial crunch. The PAC further urged the provinces to keep a uniform GST rate, as after the 18th Amendment, GST collection was a provincial subject.
