Payment to CBR foreign consultants: SBP asked to check delay in funds transfer

The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has asked the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to check undue delay in remitting of funds in US dollars to foreign tax consultants hired under the Tax Administration Reform Project (TARP) program.
Sources told Business Recorder on Sunday that CBR is maintaining a specific bank account to deal with payments pertaining to the reform program, funded by the World Bank (WB).
It has been noticed that payment requests, forwarded to SBP through National Bank of Pakistan, have not been remitted in the accounts of the concerned overseas consultants in time. This is resulting in embarrassing situation before the foreign tax experts working for CBR.
In a recent case, payment for one foreign consultant was forwarded to NBP, but the same was not transferred to the account of concerned consultant. The issue was taken up with the management of NBP/SBP.
Sources said that CBR has requested Director Foreign Exchange Operations, SBP, Karachi to personally ensure early transfer of the funds into the accounts of concerned foreign consultant.
The board has appointed different foreign consultants from time to time. These include Dr James P. Mcgee, USA; Allan Gilmour, UK; German tax consultant Dietmore Jost; British tax consultants Maxwell Stamps and Ms Yassiemine L Hodges from the United States.