Achievement of revenue collection targets: FBR warns senior officials of punitive action

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Thursday warned Chief Commissioners of Large Taxpayer Units (LTUs) and Regional Tax Offices (RTOs) that it would take punitive action against them and they would be immediately transferred if they failed to achieve revenue collection target for the first quarter (July-September) 2012-2013.
Sources told Business Recorder here on Thursday that if any tax official would try to stop the transfer, tax authorities would initiate disciplinary proceedings against him. According to sources, the FBR will review the position of revenue collection vis-à-vis targets on the conclusion of the first quarter on September 30 this year. The Chief Commissioners of LTUs/RTOs, who would achieve the targets, would continue to perform on their existing positions.
These instructions were issued by the Chief Inland Revenue Budget FBR on behalf of the FBR Member Inland Revenue, sources said. Sources added that the FBR had initially set quarterly revenue collection targets (2012-2013) to the field formations by taking a new policy measure to assign the targets of sales tax, withholding tax and Federal Excise Duty at the import stage to the Model Customs Collectorates (MCC). Under this policy shift, the targets for July and August 2012 were assigned to the MCCs instead of LTUs/RTOs. Later, the FBR realised that it is practically difficult to show collection of sales tax, excise duty and withholding tax under the head of customs. Now, the FBR has again given the targets of the sales tax, withholding tax and FED collected at import stages to the RTOs/LTUs.