Exporters want Hafeez Sheikh to play part in revision of export-oriented sales tax refund policy

ISLAMABAD: The exporters have requested Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue to intervene for revision of sales tax refund policy for export-oriented sectors and create a dedicated head (Escrow Account) for refund claims to be monitored by a committee comprising Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials, audit firms and textile associations.

In a communication to Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh here on Monday, Shabir Ahmed Chairman Pakistan Bedwear Exporters Association, while strongly criticising FBR’s SRO.918 (I)/2019, said that a dedicated head for refund claims, ideally an Escrow Account, should be created. If the collected amount goes into the consolidated fund refund claims become susceptible to government’s ways and means position leading to delays and denials.

The Escrow Account should be monitored by a committee consisting of nominees of FBR and textile exporting associations. If necessary, the government may also include top audit firms, at the expense of the associations.

He said that the association is both surprised and dismayed at the issuance of the captioned notification. FBR seems to have chosen to ignore our request to incorporate our inputs provided vide our letter no. PBEA/FBR/2019 DT: 06/08/2019.

These inputs had also been shared with the DG Exports by the association on the advice of Chairman FBR. The association had also requested the DG to share the draft notification with us and the other concerned Associations before its finalisation, as it would have a strong bearing on the country’s export effort that you are so assiduously promoting.

The association is afraid that the notification that has now been issued would negate government’s export policies that promise zero-rating. It simply fails to take into account the entire supply chain (for instance, it covers a large variety of products/processes like Cartons, Poly Bags, Inlay Cards, Swing threads, Dyeing Printing, Weaving etc.). It will seriously impact our cash-flows and threaten several units with closure.

The notification in its present form will seriously hurt the export industry, Shabir Ahmed added.

The Annexure H form in the above notification should be utilize for Post audit purpose and not for Pre-verification of refund claims.

In the Process under Star module after eight verified cheques, the process of Star module referred in Chapter V, The concern RTO or LTO processing officer will process un-cleared amount manually and this be insured that within 2 days the supporting documents provided by the Exporters / Suppliers to the RTO or LTO officer to be paid and no computer down or etc. excuses will be done, otherwise the FBR have to pay 13% interest to the concern exporter, he maintained.

The Claim routed to FASTER module under section 39F of the above notification shall be electronically processed. The data in the refund claim shall be scrutinized and verified by the system and the payable refund amount shall be determined on the basis of input consumed in exports or supplied. The refund payment order (RPO) of the amount found admissible shall be generated and the same shall be electronically communicated direct to the State Bank of Pakistan, within seventy-two hours of submission of claim, for onward advice to the respective banks, which shall be made by the State Bank of Pakistan no later than seventy-two hours of electronic receipt of an RPO, for credit into the notified account of the claimant no later than, Shabir Ahmed added.