The Pakistan Silk and Rayon Mills Association (Psarma) has suggested that sales tax refund claims should be accepted after seeing the original copy of return challan.
This would drastically cut the processing time, it said.
The Chairman of Psarma, Khalid Amin, in a memorandum to the Chairman of Central Board of Revenue (CBR) said that refund claims of exporters are accepted with the delay of some 75 days because computer system of sales tax is always unable to feed the monthly return challans of exporters well in time.
He said that the computer network of Starr should be advised to feed the return challans within five days, or the department should accept refund claims against original copy of return challan.
Khalid pointed out that as per refund rules the department is bound to issue the refund cheques within 40 days but it is being delayed for more than six months.
The computer network of Starr is always out of order, which should be upgraded. It is requested that the department may be given instructions to eliminate pendency completely.
He suggested that the exporter should not be penalised if any of their registered suppliers does not deposit the sales tax already received from the exporters through banking channel under Section 73 of the Sales Tax Act, in the Treasury.
The Psarma chairman said that in the course of shifting of the premises of sales tax collectorate to three different places in three months, thousands of refund claims files are not traceable. In such cases duplicate files may be accepted, he added.
He drew the attention of CBR Chairman towards delay in payment of duty drawback by the Collectorate of Customs (Export).
The Psarma chief appreciated the efforts made by Member Sales Tax and Collector Enforcement in streamlining the sales tax refund system and assured the CBR chief of fullest support from manufacturers-cum-exporters and commercial exporters in meeting revenue targets.