The Federal Board of Revenue has withdrawn major taxpayer facilitation measures, ie, discontinuing 24/7 services at its call centre on Saturdays and Sundays and taking away other facilitation measures.
Sources told Business Recorder here on Tuesday that this kind of anti-reform measures have created panic among the business community as well as small and medium taxpayers, who cannot seek guidance from the FBR through call centre on Saturdays, Sundays and other public holidays. Secondly, Call Centre facility will also not be available during the night shift.
Sources continued that people are trying to get registered and want to have NTN numbers to be part of the taxation system, but such measures by the Board at this stage will hamper the documentation regime badly, which will ultimately affect the taxation authorities' efforts to meet the revenue collection target for the current fiscal.
The FBR was providing 24/7 services at its call centre (051 111-772-772) for past many years, whereby the taxpayers were able to seek guidance on e-Filing of Tax Returns, NTN Registration, Sales Tax Registration, Tax Payments, etc. Sources stated that the Member (IT) FBR/ Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL) has ordered the discontinuation of these services on Saturdays and Sundays. Likewise, the call centre of FBR will not operate on 24hrs basis henceforth. The taxpayers and tax consultants used to seek guidance through phone calls and e-mails from the call centre of FBR being operated by its IT arm PRAL.
Reportedly, the CEO PRAL Raana Ahmed has declared financial crunch to the company and taken the austerity measure as one of her initiatives in the company. Now, the tax consultants, existing taxpayers and potential taxpayers would not be able to seek any guidance from FBR through call centre on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, moreover the call centre facility will also not be available in the night shift. So far, FBR had been adding various facilitation services at its portfolio but unfortunately this is the first ever withdrawal of any taxpayer facilitation services.
Experts are of the view that withdrawal of this facility will mar the major initiative of the government for broadening of taxpayers' base in the country. They urged that the Chairman FBR would reconsider this decision and restore the same for facilitating the taxpayers and help them to avail the Tax Incentive Schemes announced by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
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