Sindh government has failed to computerise tax collection system of Board of Revenue (BoR), the oldest taxation department, as it seems more focused on Sindh Revenue Board and Excise and Taxation Department. Sindh BoR is the successor of West Pakistan BoR. It was originally constituted under West Pakistan Board of Revenue Act 1967, which on dissolution of One Unit in 1970 became the Board of Revenue, Sindh.
BoR is the controlling authority in all matters related with administration of revenue collection including land taxes, land revenue, preparation of land record and other matters relating thereto. The board is the custodian of the rights of the land holders and is the highest revenue court in the province with Appellate/Revisional Jurisdiction against orders of subordinate revenue officers/courts including EDOs (Revenue) and Collectors. All Revenue courts are subject to the general superintendence and control of BoR.
The BoR officials are working to collect urban property tax, Agriculture Land tax, Sale deed tax, Mortgage deeds tax, Power of attorney (optional) tax, Will deed tax, collection of registration fee, stamp duty and other local fee and the BoR works to preserve property record of public.
"After the verdict of Supreme Court during last government tenure, the BoR started computerisation of land record while the revenue officials are still collecting taxes manually," sources said. "Due to manual tax collection since 1970, the BoR became "lucrative department" of Sindh government. Every officer who has political backing is getting his posting in BoR through deputation or other means, and minting money in millions," a senior official said.
Recently, as per the apex court verdict, the Sindh government removed OPS officers in all departments. Most of the OPS were posted at BoR, as the board is considered among the most corrupt departments of the provincial government, he said. Sources in the board said that Sindh chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had expressed anger over the Senior Member BoR Alamdin Bullo when he could not brief the CM over collection of taxes.
Sources added that the meeting held at CM house a few days ago had been differed as Chief Minister wanted to get detailed briefing from BoR authorities in next two to three days. Qaim Ali Shah during the said meeting had said that BoR was important department and it needed be strengthened.
He asked the senior member BoR to prepare his briefing with recommendations for making the organisation viable. After that meeting, the CM called Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sikandar Mendhro and asked him to review the tax laws under which BoR is working. A handout issued here stated Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah formed a committee headed by Sindh Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sikandar Mendhro to prepare a draft for amendment to law to streamline the agriculture tax in consultation with the grower organisations and other stakeholders and directed committee to submit the proposed draft in the Sindh Assembly.
The Chief Minister Sindh dispelled the impression that Agriculture income was not being taxed, adding that there were many taxes including Agriculture income Tax which were already being charged but not being projected in the media. He was presiding over a meeting regarding income tax on agriculture held at CM House here on Monday.
The Chief Minister was of the view that Agriculture sector was being taxed such as Agriculture income tax, water tax, drainage tax, local cess tax and other indirect taxes on their inputs but the same are neither being projected in media nor being streamlined or rationalised or revised to avoid anomalies. Shah asked Mendhro to identify the lacuna in the law and prepare flawless draft on agriculture income tax to ensure equal privilege of taxable slab, concessions, remission and other facilities which are being provided to industrialist's and trades. The Chief Minister asked Dr Mendhro to prepare draft for proper amendments to the law or for new act with the consultation of Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, Sindh Abadgar Board, Revenue / Finance experts and opinion leaders.
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