Central Board of Revenue Abdullah Yousaf has exhorted the textile exporters to strive for intrinsic value-based export industry shunning rebates, subsidies and incentives to face the challenges of rapidly changing international trade scenario.
Addressing the members of Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) here on Friday night, he said that over last few years huge investment in new machinery has been made in the textile sector which has contributed not only in bettering the standards and quality of Pakistani exports but also in enhancing the volume of exports.
Opposing the culture of incentives, subsidies and rebates, he explained this culture engendered negative impact on the overall economic progress of the country as also placing unnecessary burden on the national exchequer. "The days of rebates, refunds, incentives and subsidies are over and the country''s still dependent on this culture would realise its negative fall out and will have to revise their policies sooner or later", he said.
Elaborating the administrative measures undertaken for facilitation of exporters, he informed that the process of computerisation and electronic return filing has been introduced for clearance of the imported goods at the ports and the clearance time of the consignments has been brought down to 7 hours and will be further reduced to 4 hours in near future. He cited the Care System introduced at Karachi Port and facility for self-assessment of duties for the imports in this respect.
The chairman CBR pointed out that special scanning machines are being installed at Port Qasim to clear the exportable goods. This will facilitate the clearance of goods at the time of dispatch from Pakistan instead of scanning and clearance at arrival port in America resolving host of problems presently being faced in two-way trade with America. He hoped the project will starts working in full swing in next December and would be extended for clearance of goods to Europe also. Regarding reforms in the income tax sector the chairman said that universal self assessment system (USAS) has been introduced for the facility of assesses where under the tax returns filed by the assesses are accepted on face value and no hassles are created for the taxpayers. He was however not happy with the number of taxpayers in the country which was quite low compared to the existing potential. He disclosed that 20 percent yearly increase was planned to increase the number of taxpayers in the country and hoped that within a period of 5-7 years the ratio of taxpayers would be doubled.
Describing the demands of extending dates for refundable stocks of the exporters as unnecessary, the chairman CBR said that the exporters should adjust themselves to new realities and changing economic comparison as well as the emerging international trade scenario discarding the concept of the sales tax refund regime. He further stated that the government was cognisant of the importance and the services rendered by the taxpayers and was awarding them prizes and merit trophies. He appreciated the proposal of PTEA regarding issuance of Green Card for compliant taxpayers.
Earlier, Rana Arif Tauseef, Chairman, Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) welcoming the CBR chairman pointed out the problems being faced by the exporters regarding sales tax and duties and requested the chairman to extend necessary help in making an export friendly policies in the forthcoming budget.