The government has given two years extension to CBR Chairman Riaz Ahmed Malik and five private members for smooth implementation of reforms underway to revamp tax structure, it is learnt.
The private members given extension are Member Human Resource Management (HRM) Zafar Aziz Osmani; Dr Ather Maqsood Ahmed Member, Fiscal Research and Statistics; Fakhurddin Ibrahim Member Taxpayer Education and Facilitation; Syed Pervez Amjad Member Audit and Amir Z.A. Chaudhry Member Information Management System (IMS).
The extension of Chairman who was to retire on March 7, 2004, will help in better implementation of reform process.
Businessmen, industrialist and bureaucrats kept on calling CBR officials throughout the day to confirm Riaz's two-year extension.
When this scribe contacted the Chairman, he said: "Neither I had sought extension nor I have yet been intimated about it."
About private members' extension, Malik said that the government has in principle extended their contracts for another two years.
The viewpoint of Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) on this subject has not come.
Malik said that this would be last extension for private members as CBR would depute seasoned tax officials on these posts after expiry of these contracts in 2006.
The posts of Member Human Resource Management (HRM), Member, Fiscal Research and Statistics, Member Taxpayer Education and Facilitation, Member Audit and Member Information Management System (IMS) will not be abolished. However, members from private sectors would not be hired in future.
Private Member Human Resource Management (HRM) Zafar Aziz Osmani also confirmed that the contracts of five private members have been extended for another two years on approval of Prime Minister.