LAHORE – The business community of Lahore has warned of concerted protest if the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) does not immediately stop harassing businessmen by issuing notices. The warning was voiced by Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) Chairman Engineer Sohail Lashari. Former LCCI Presidents Mian Anjum Nisar and Mian Shafqat Ali also addressed the large business gathering comprising of industrialists and traders.
The PIAF chairman said that the business community disapproves the FBR move and will not tolerate any arm twisting by the tax department but it would be resisted tooth and nail. It was also noted that leading economies have given incentives to expedite economic activity in their respective countries but in Pakistan leaders have done the opposite to the point where the business sector is facing major internal and external challenges.
Lashari stressed that the business community was quite conscious of its national obligations and the decision to issue unnecessary notices to them would only stymie business atmosphere. PIAF Chairman Sohail Lashari also underscored that before any harsh step is taken such as conducting raids and instituting FIR, sales tax officials should sit down with tax payers if any discrepancy emerges and solve the issue amicably on the table. He said that raids and FIRs are counterproductive.
They are time consuming and negative in the long run. He stressed the need for taxpayers and tax collectors to be on the same page as both are striving to serve the nation. While addressing the gathering, former LCCI President Mian Anjum Nisar said that it would be wiser for the Federal Board of Revenue to strengthen its institutional capacity for bringing more people into the tax net instead of squeezing the existing tax payers.
He claimed that in order to cultivate the culture of voluntary tax payments, taxpayers should be facilitated and guided, instead of imposing harsh penalties.
